


Mando's Charge

by PonderRose



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Kidnapping, Love, Love Triangles, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Star Wars - Freeform, The Force, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Mando accepts an under-the-table commission to capture and bring forth a Force-sensitive woman. There's only one issue: Mando doesn't know what the Force is and why his clients want her delivered to them so badly. A friendship soon blossoms between them, which grows into something more. No Baby Yoda (sorry). MandoxOC. Told from OC's POV. Enjoy!
Relationships: Mando/OC
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. Foretelling

[Author’s Note: Just a heads up to all my lovely readers. I have never watched any of the Star Wars movies save Episode I- The Phantom Menace. I have also never played any of the games, read any of the books, etc. So you’ll have to forgive my general lack of Star Wars knowledge. 

That being said, I have done my homework, including watching the whole Mandalorian series. Baby Yoda is very precious to me, but he will not make an appearance here. I write love stories and will primarily focus MandoxOC’s relationship. I hope you enjoy and are patient with my ignorance of Star Wars lore; I will try to do as much research as possible. Also, I should note that because I’ve only seen Episode I, Qui-Gon Jinn is my favourite Jedi and the main character will be related to him (great niece). 

Thank you for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoy!]

Told from OC’s P.O.V.- 

I don’t know how I wound up on Takodana; maybe my parents thought it would be a good place for me to lay low. Not that I ever met them. The only family I ever met was my great uncle, though maybe “met” isn’t the right word. I’ve always stayed as far away from the castle as I could; I know it serves as an open port for spies and questionable travellers. That being said, I’ve never had any real issue here. Not yet anyway. 

My journey began one afternoon when I was outside in the small valley near the hut where I lived. I usually went there to pick wildflowers and relax after a day of training. While there, a familiar voice caught my ear; it interrupted me softly singing to myself. 

“Saoirse.” I glanced over my shoulder to see an apparition standing behind me. My lips immediately curled into a smile. “Hello, Master.” “How are you fairing, child?” “Good! My training is going well……. even though I don’t really know what I’m doing,” I replied a bit sheepishly. “Trust the Force. It will guide you, if you only let it.” “But I’m still not really sure what the Force is. You said I’m Force-sensitive, but I can’t really control…… whatever it is I can do.” My great uncle grinned and shook his head; his hands were clasped out in front of him. “In time; you will learn in due time, child.” “Yes, Master,” I nodded. I wasn’t a child anymore; I was close to thirty years old. But Master knew best; all the past Jedi knew best. 

“I have come to tell you something.” “What is it, Master?” I perked up a bit. News- that could be either good or bad. Hopefully good. But judging by the way his grin disappeared, my hopes began to diminish as well. “Do you remember what midi-chlorians is?” “Uh, kinda,” I shrugged. “Do you remember when I said you have a high count in your cells? Second only to Anakin?” Anakin, Anakin……. I remember the ghosts of Yoda and Obi-Wan mentioning that name before, but I had no clue who he was. They didn’t tell me anything about the outside universe that wasn’t related to my training. Still, I knew Master was expecting an answer, so I nodded my head unthinkingly. He seemed satisfied with this. 

“Listen, child. I have come to warn you. Men are searching for you; bad men. They are called the Imperials.” “The Imperials?” My eyebrow lifted up. This was the first time anyone as “sought” after me before. “They will stop at nothing until they have you in their possession. Do you understand?” “I…… think so? Does this mean I have to leave Takodana?” “You will be taken from here. Do not leave until then; he will find you.” “He?” I blinked in surprise. In almost thirty years the only men I’ve ever met are already dead. It’d be interesting to meet a life one for a change. But only……. 

“C-can I trust him, Master?” My voice faltered a smidge. My great uncle nodded once more. “He is not aware of the Force, and you are not to tell him. He will protect you, in time. He will also need your healing abilities; what you have been practicing since childhood.” “Yes, Master. Only…… um, w-what…… what do these “Imperials” want with me? What value could I possibly have to them?” 

My master was quiet for a moment before lowering his eyes onto mine. “It is not for you to understand- not yet. All you need to know is that they wish to have you alive; this must not happen. You are a healer- you are not a Jedi. You cannot protect yourself against them or their wills for you.” “Yes, Master…….” He’s treating me like a child again. Here I am, a grown woman and they still refuse to tell me anything. I know it’s because they care for me and want to keep me safe and innocent. Still…….. 

Great Uncle grinned tenderly again and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Do not worry, child. I will be with you. Use the Force for good and remember your vow. You will return to Takodana someday.” “Thank you, Master,” I smiled back up at him. His hand gave me a pat. “I sense the balance between you both; you and Din Djarin.” “Who?” He chuckled. “You balance each other. Remember that when you find reason to distrust him.” “Wait, you said I could trust him.” Master’s head shook one last time before he began to fade away. “I am always with you, Saoirse.” And with that, he was gone. All I could do was blink several times in utter confusion. 

“Din Djarin?”


	2. Abduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando abducts OC.

I forgot the name Master told me rather quickly. Din something, I think. Who knows? So apparently there’s this guy coming to take me away from my home, to deliver me to these Imperial goons, for some unknown reason? Yeah, needless to say I’m more than a little confused about the whole matter. 

Still, I knew my great uncle would want me to continue my training. I still don’t know what the Force is; Yoda’s tried to explain it to me several times before but he’s a tad cryptic in his verses. He says I need “to believe” in order to successfully master my abilities. Not sure what I’m supposed to believe- in this magic I have, I guess. Whatever this “Force” is, it allows me to lift objects, control elements like fire, and most importantly, heal wounds and stop poison. That’s what I use it primarily for; lifting things is nice but healing is more aligned to my values. Consequently, Yoda says I can never be a Jedi with that mentality- whatever a Jedi is. I guess they do more than merely heal people. 

I would find wounded animals in the forests and valleys and try to heal them. I’d been doing this since I was a child and have gotten pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself. The only thing is that I get really tired whenever I use my powers, especially when I use a lot of it. It used to be really bad when I was younger; I’d pass out for days on end. Now that I’m an adult, it’s easier- some but not by much. Since I only practice on animals, I don’t exert a lot of magic at one time. I’d like to try on big creatures but well, here I am.

For the first couple of days, I was honestly waiting for this Din character to show up. I tried to focus on my training and not get too distracted, but it’s not every day you learn you’re going to get abducted by a stranger. Nothing happened, however, and after a while I got back into my normal routine. I had just had a bath down by the secluded lake on the faithful day. I had just arrived back in my hut while drying my damp hair with a blue cloth. Part of my mind wanted to go pick flowers this afternoon, but that wouldn’t happen. There was a bang from behind me and I turned around. 

That’s the moment my life fundamentally changed. 

The door fell down; not flung open- fell. It had been burned off its hinges. Now that’s overkill I’d say. Two figures stood at the doorway. I……. I uh, think they were men. One looked more like a robot, a droid than a human. The other…… well human or not, he had on a ton of armour, including a helmet. What? Did he think he was coming to a war zone? They both had guns to boot. 

The helmet guy had this tracker thingy in his hand, which beeped loudly the closer he got to me. In all reality I should have been scared; I should have been terrified. And I’ll admit, I was a little afraid. But……. I can’t really explain it. Master said they’d be coming, and they weren’t going to kill me; at least I knew that much. Helmet guy took another step towards me. 

“Is this her?” He asked the droid. “Great niece of Qui-Gon Jinn. This is the one,” the droid replied in that metallic, dull tone. The helmet guy’s head tilted slightly, facing in my direction. “Who are you?” I asked, unsure what to say. I’ve never been kidnapped before and wasn’t quite sure how this whole thing worked. 

The droid didn’t answer, instead raising his blaster up to me. Whoa, wait! Hold on a minute; I thought they were supposed to take me, not kill me. “Exterminating the target,” the droid stated. I didn’t even have time to scream before helmet guy stopped the droid’s arm. “No. We’ll bring her in alive.” Huh, this guy……. I watched him curiously. I wonder if he’s Din whatever-his-name-is. I think he’s a man; he sure sounds like a man. But with that helmet and uniform on, it’s hard to be absolutely sure. 

“The commission was quite specific. The asset was to be terminated.” More guns pointed my way. “W-what are you…….?” My arm instinctively rose out in front of me. My eyes winced as I gave a little cry at the sound of a gunshot. When they eventually reopened- once I grasped that it was not me who had been executed- I saw the bot falling to land on the ground. Helmet man lowered his gun which was pointing in the droid’s path. It took me a few seconds to realize that he had shot the robot who intended to kill me. He saved me, this helmet-wearing fellow……. “He will protect you, in time.” Wait.

His head tilted to one side again as if he was thinking to himself. Then he pointed his gloved finger straight at me. “You. You’re coming with me.” “O-ok? Um, by any chance, are you…….?” My brain stopped my mouth before I could finish my question. I wanted to ask if he was working for or knew who the Imperials were but decided against it. Better not chance it just in case he isn’t the man my Master was referring to. He may come along later; this may not be him. Best to wait until I know more about helmet guy over here. Thankfully he didn’t take me by the wrist and drag me out of my hut, letting me go on my own volition. Before we left however, I rushed around to gather a few things. 

Helmet man paused at the door to gaze back in at me; he acted annoyed. “I’m just getting some things.” “Pack light. We’ve got a way to go.” “Yeah, where are we going, by the way?” I blinked back at him curiously. He stared at me for a moment as if he didn’t know what to make of my question. “That’s none of your business,” he finally replied. I frowned but didn’t press it further, continuing to collect my things into a pack. He observed me in a sort of puzzled fashion for a couple of minutes, folding his arms. 

“Aren’t you going to try and run away?” “What?” My head perked up. “You’re just going to let me take you like this? Without fighting back?” His arms fell down at his sides. “Oh! Yes,” I continued my packing. This appeared to confuse him ever more. “That’s strange, for a lone, young woman like you.” “Well, there’s really no point in resisting. I knew this was coming, so I might as well………” “Hold on. You knew?” Uh oh, I straightened up, not daring to look him in the eye. "He is not aware of the Force, and you are not to tell him.” What should I say now? How do I explain myself? Ugh, why can’t I just tell him? What’s wrong with him knowing about the Force? Not like I can explain it to him anyway. 

Trying to act as calmly and naturally as possible, I merely shrugged and finished up my packing. “O-oh, nothing. I…… I uh…… I-I’m a pacifist, you see. So there’s really nothing I can do if you’re gonna abduct me anyway. Not like I can resist or anything.” Did he buy it? Nugh, I can’t tell what he’s thinking with that bloody helmet on! He looked at me for another minute before turning away. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was feeling a bit awkward right now. His feet shifted back towards the entrance to the hut. “Hurry up.” “Almost done!” I took one last look around the place. Welp! Here I go, into space for the first time. Master said I’d be back someday, so I knew this wasn’t goodbye forever. When that someday came however, I had no clue. 

Helmet guy quietly observed as I threw my pack over my shoulder and spun to face him. “Ready,” I announced. Without another word, he led me outside, away from the droid still laying lifeless on the floor. I watched the hut as it disappeared into the distance. I stared until it was out of sight, and I said a silent farewell to my childhood home. It’s not like I needed to stay anyway. The spirits of the three previous Jedi could find me anywhere, so leaving this planet didn’t mean leaving my masters. My eyes slowly reverted back to the masked guy walking ahead of me. Now there’s just him to figure out.


	3. First Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando and OC get ambushed.

My eyes kept reverting back to the helmet man currently kidnapping me. He hadn’t said a word since we left my hut; he just kept walking out in front of me in a stoic fashion. Meanwhile I tottled along behind him curious if I was doing this whole “abduction” thing right. Now I know that might sound utterly insane but hear me out. Master told me that this day was coming and that I would someday return to Takodana. I trusted my great uncle whole-heartedly. Thus, I knew that this helmet-wearing rogue- if he is a rogue- wouldn’t kill me. That much was certain at least. Comprehending that, I was more curious and puzzled by him than afraid of him. So many questions swirled around inside my head: why didn’t he take off his helmet; where did he come from; what did he get for delivering me to god knows where? 

I kicked the ground with my foot, unsure what to say and if I should say it. He didn’t seem too interested in talking to me. I peered up at him from the corner of my eye again. This time he caught me as his head turned ever so slightly to the side. I watched him, wanting some answers to my mountain of questions. But instead my lips stayed shut and I glanced straight forward. We were entering a dusty, rocky terrain- one I never visited. It’s not that I was afraid of this place; it’s only……. Actually, never mind; I am scared of this place.

The ground wasn’t totally smooth; it was enviable that I was going to trip on a rock that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. I stumbled forward like an idiot, only for my feet stable me seconds later. I glanced up and saw helmet man looking my way; he had stopped momentarily too. When it was clear I was alright, he started walking again and I took that as my cue to follow him. 

So strange. Master said he and I balanced each other. What does that even mean? He won’t even talk to me; never mind “balance” me. And I have no clue how I could possibly offer him any balance. I guess I was too busy considering this to pay attention to our surroundings. If I had, I would have noticed how close to the castle we were getting; somewhere Master forbade me from going. 

I only paused again once helmet man did. To my surprise he stopped and glanced upwards to the side. My curiosity got the better of me as now seemed like the perfect time to talk to him. “What’s wrong?” I heard fall from my lips. He didn’t reply, instead electing to scan around attentively. It was quiet for a moment- too quiet. But my nerves suddenly shot up when his hand reached for his gun. Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s going on? What is he doing? 

My question was answered within seconds. Some man- though I doubt he was human- leapt out of nowhere with an axe in his hands. He also had one of those beepers on him which went crazy whenever he was near me. Without hesitation, helmet man pushed me away from the pair- hard. He shoved me so hard in fact that I went flying across the gorge, landing in the red dust afar. I blinked up while still in shock to witness helmet man and the new guy fighting. This creep was trying- and failing- to strike helmet man with his blunt axe. 

To my horror, another creature who looked just like the first one soon joined the battle; none of the men were paying any great attention to me. This gave me a brief moment to consider. Now what? What should I do? I can’t fight, and I have to honour my vow. So I won’t be any help to helmet man that way. But I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re after me; they both have those red blinking trackers- the same I saw earlier at the hut. If I stay, they’ll keep fighting…… But trying to run might not help anything either. Still, I can’t just lay here and do nothing. I can at least get them away from helmet man; once I’m back in the forest, I’ll be able to evade these freaks. I’m familiar enough with forest terrain. Plus there’s two of them and one helmet man….. 

Having already decided, I hopped right to my feet. This grabbed none of their attention, but all eyes were certainly on me when I began to run away. My arms waved back and forth at my sides as my feet carried me as fast as possible. “You’re not going anywhere!” One of the creeps roared at me. I think he was intending to throw his axe at me, but helmet man stopped him; I didn’t see. And I would have kept on going if the sound of helmet man electrocuting one freak ground my mad scrambling to a halt. My eyes peered over my shoulder to see one of the remaining monsters charging at me while hollering; his axe was raised high above his head. 

Before he could reach me, helmet man shot him- and by “shot” I mean disintegrate. There once moment, gone the next. My wide eyes gawked at helmet man bewildered. He gazed back at me, slowly lowering his weapon and trailing his stare to the tracker now on the ground. After seeing what he was looking at, I bent down to pick it up. It was beeping like mad now. 

“What is it?” I asked, glancing back at my abductor. He responded by marching up to me and holding out his hand expectantly. “Give it to me.” I looked at him for a moment before doing as commanded. Helmet man gave it a once over, then tossed it down and broke it with his foot. My eyes slowly rolled back up to his covered head, very confused by now. “Who were they?” My voice was quieter this time. 

Helmet man stared back at me for another minute before continuing his trek down the sandy path. “Let’s go,” was all he told me. I watched him, waiting a second to lag behind; making sure to take one last look at the ravine before we left it completely.


	4. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando's first night with OC.

I couldn’t ignore my stomach rumbling forever. Usually I was eating two or three times a day. And here I was, almost a full day without so much as a drop of a water. I suppose helmet man knew it was time to call it a night when he finally stopped in the middle of nowhere. He sat down and turned to face me. I frowned at him. 

“So…….?” “What?” “So, how does this work?” I asked a bit impatiently; I was more than a little hangry. “How does what work?” Helmet man finally inquired, setting his gun down at his side. “Well……. not to sound ignorant on the whole kidnapping thing but aren’t you at least supposed to feed me or something?” “You’re not a child.” “No, I’m a woman you abducted from her home. I have no idea how to find food out here; and don’t get me started on water.” 

Helmet man sighed like he was exhausted. He’s tired? “If you’re hungry, you must fend for yourself,” he then told me in an exasperated tone. I rolled my eyes. I mean I’m not sure what’s even edible around here; if I can find anything, that is. Realizing that food wasn’t part of this kidnapping deal, I went to search for some berries or something. I didn’t go far, though I could feel his eyes on me from time to time. It took me a long time to find some water in the dark; forget about food. 

After a while of combing and finding nothing but a few mouth-fulls of water, I returned to the fire helmet man had now built. I got back just in time to catch him doing something to his arm; there was apparently a scratch on it I’d never seen over. I don’t know what he was trying to do- whatever it was, it looked and sounded painful. Realizing that he was injured, however, set my healing instincts into drive. He paused for a moment as I approached him gazing down at his arm. 

“What are you doing?” He asked as I knelt down beside him. “You’re hurt,” I stated matter-of-factly. His eye train rolled down to the bloody wound. “It’s nothing. Go find yourself some food,” he tried to shoo me away. Too bad I was too concentrated on his arm. I raised my right hand up without thinking, ready to touch it when all of a sudden, my brain stopped me dead in my tracks. 

Wait, what am I doing? I can’t use my Force healing; he doesn’t know what the Force is, and I’m not supposed to tell him. How could explain myself if I healed his wound right now? Still, I can’t do nothing…….. He’s hurt; I can’t not help him in some way or form. That’s when I got an idea. 

Helmet man merely observed perplexed as I proceeded to tear off the bottom end of my shirt. “Here,” I wrapped it around the wound on his arm. Now, we both knew that wouldn’t do much, but it was better than nothing. It would have to do until I could consult Master or Yoda about which herbal remedies to mix up and apply. Nugh, life would be so much easier if he only knew about the Force and its healing abilities. 

Of course, he didn’t appear at all impressed by this. “That won’t do anything,” he said in his classic stoic voice. “It’ll have to do until I find something better,” I shrugged, leaning back from him. “I don’t need your help,” helmet man then claimed. A small smile grew across my lips as I continued looking at him. “I know…….” 

This seemed to fluster helmet man momentarily as he glanced at the light in a thoughtful manner. “Did you eat anything?” He eventually asked me. “No, I couldn’t find anything. Just some water,” I let out a sigh. When he didn’t reply, I turned to face him again. “What about you? Are you hungry or thirsty?” A pregnant pause proceeded. “I’ll eat later.” “Ok,” I peered at the light as well. If he says so……. 

Ok, the silence was starting to get to me. He didn’t have to talk about himself, so long as he spoke about anything. I stole a peak at helmet man through the corner of my eyes once more. What a resigned fellow……. “Can I ask you something?” I inquired. “No.” Yeah right; like that’s gonna stop me. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” “You’ll find out soon enough.” Ugh. “Is it far from here?” “A ways.” “Will it take us long to get there?” “No more questions.” “But you literally haven’t told me anything. Do you even have a ship?” “Not yet.” I huffed and threw up my hands. He was going to tell me diddly squat. Some balancing act this was. 

Things only got worse and more awkward when my stomach thought now was the perfect time to rumble again- loudly. This time helmet man heard it and he glanced my way; I silently stared back at him while holding my stomach. It was as if he was contemplating the situation to himself at the moment. To my mild surprise, he peered down at the bandage on his arm briefly. He sighed to himself, glancing out into nowhere. Then, to my greater shock, he got up and rolled his hands into fists. I blinked up at him puzzled but didn’t say anything. 

“Stay here. I’ll find you something to eat.” “Y-you will?!” I gasped startled. “Just stay put. I won’t go far,” he instructed before setting off into the night. True to his word, he remained close enough for me to watch him, or at least the outline of his person. All the while, I stayed close to the flames while hugging my knees into my chest. He’s an odd one, this helmet man. One moment he’s telling me to fend for myself, and the next he’s forging for food. I guess I’m his precious target and it would be bad if I starved on his hands. The world’s smallest grin rolled naturally across my lips as I continued to passively observe. Still…….. There’s always a “still” when it comes to him I’m slowly discovering.


	5. Kuiil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC meets Kuiil.

I knew exactly where we were when the castle came into view over the horizon. As I wavered a bit unnervingly, helmet man scouted out a broken ship- I don’t know if it was abandoned here by one of the unsavoury characters now near the castle or not. “Stay here,” he told me as he went aboard with his gun drawn. Stay here? Stay here?! In the middle of Danger Land? Ok, ok, calm down; I made myself breathe deeply. I’m gonna survive; I’m gonna survive. Just keep calm and do as he says. I’m not going to die here. 

While he was inside, trying to get the thing to work I’d imagine, I wandered aimlessly around nearby outside. My foot kept kicking small rocks on the ground, bored out of my skull. Master said he’d be taking me somewhere; not that this would be the universe’s more boring kidnapping. Helmet man soon emerged and sighed. His head spun my way and I blinked. “No luck?” “No. Let’s go,” he began to lead me away from the sight. I took one last at the machine before following suit. 

We walked until the sun was setting again and a small hut with a windmill came into sight. Outside it was this shortish, odd-looking man working on a pole; he didn’t even glance our way upon our arrival. 

“I thought you were dead.” Who, me? I automatically assumed he was talking to me, or I did until he turned around to look down at us. His eyes went from helmet man onto me, where they only widened. “Well now, what have we here?” He asked while staring straight at me astonished. 

“Where’d you find her?” This new guy asked helmet man as if I wasn’t even present. “The other side of the forest,” helmet man replied as he worked on some gadget attached to his arm. “The forest, you say? You been living there long?” New man finally turned to face me again. I nodded. “It’s the only place I remember living.” “Strange; very strange. What’s your name, child?” “Uh, Saoirse.” That’s when I noticed helmet man eying me once more; he stopped once he realized I was gazing his way and went back to his tinkering. 

“Saoirse, huh? She looks healthy enough,” he then told helmet man as he tottled away from me. Uh, excuse me? I’m standing right here. When helmet man didn’t say anything, new guy saw fit to continue. “Odd that one little girl could cause such a fuss. But luckily for you, she’s young and strong. Best to deliver her alive.” I frowned; they literally don’t care that I can hear them. 

“My ship has been destroyed. I’m trapped here.” “Stripped; not destroyed,” new guy fetched helmet man a tool for his wrist-thingy. “Stripped or destroyed; it makes no difference to me.” “You can trade.” “At the castle? Are you out of your mind?” This made me perk up. Going to the castle? This sounds like something I should consult Master on first. “I will take you to the castle; I know someone there who can help. I have spoken.” Ok, no. I agreed to obey my master and be “abducted”; not dragged to a forbidden castle. That would conflict with their orders. 

Both men blinked in my direction as I turned to face them head on. “No, I’m not going to the castle. You go; I’ll stay here.” “No,” helmet man completely shot me down. “I’m not supposed to go there, a-and…… and besides, it’s dangerous.” “It’s dangerous for you to stay here by yourself,” helmet man retorted. “I have nothing to protect myself with,” my hand rose up to my chest. “I will handle everything. You just stay where I can see you.” I frowned, growing ever so more annoyed. 

This is when new guy peered back at helmet man. “You haven’t told her where you’re taking her, have you?” “Why should I?” My abductor shot back. “Heh, trust me, child. You have a lot more to concern yourself with than a mere castle,” the new guy glanced my way once more. This seemed to upset helmet man, him saying this. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell by the slight motions of his helmet from new guy to me. That’s the first time I began to feel apprehension about this whole thing. Master said I’d make it out alive; that doesn’t mean I’ll make it out unharmed. 

Seeing the sudden worry in my expression, new guy took a few steps towards me. “By the by, who told you to stay away from the castle?” “Huh?” My shoulders perked up. “You said that you’re not supposed to go to the castle. Who told you that?” Oh great, now helmet man is staring interestedly too. I inwardly rolled my eyes while trying to construct a suitable response in my mind. “Oh, uh…….. uh…… It’s just a rule I remember from childhood. I figured it was there for a good reason, so I always followed it.” He nodded, but I wasn’t sure he was entirely satisfied with my answer. Instead, to shift the conversation away from all that, I leaned in a bit closer to him in a friendly manner. 

“What’s your name?” “My name? Kuiil.” “Kuiil…….. Hello, Kuiil,” I smiled at him for the first time. We shook hands, him acting a bit surprised by the show of civility. Then we both glanced back to helmet man. “And him? Do you know his name yet?” “No. He hasn’t told me,” I replied, not taking my eyes off helmet man, who’s arms were crossed now. “Hm, he wouldn’t. He’s a Mandalorian.” “What’s that?” My eyebrow raised. “What he’s doing with you. For your purposes, he’s a bounty-hunter.” “That’s not what Mandalorians are,” the Mandalorian huffed. “That’s what you are now,” Kuiil fired. The Mandalorian didn’t reply, though I could still tell he was clearly annoyed. 

Not too concerned with that, Kuiil then spun around to see me again. I swore I saw my first hint of a smile from him hidden in the corner of his mouth. “You’ll have to be patient with him, Saoirse. He’s a hardened warrior; he’s not used to handling cargo heh, like you.”


	6. The Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando, Kuiil, and OC go to the castle.

The Mandalorian gave me a dark blue cloak with a large hood to wear in the castle. I’d lived on Takodana my whole life and never once step foot on castle grounds. Kuiil explained to me along the way that it was now a main hall for travellers, smugglers, and the like. It was right on the edge of a large body of water called Nymeve Lake. The castle was big and imposing, but I’ll admit I was a smidge curious to see what the inside would look like. Not curious enough however, to disobey my masters. “Please don’t be mad, Master,” I whispered to myself once we reached the gate. 

The Mandalorian led the way into the edifice with Kuiil following right behind and me lagging at the rear. I couldn’t stop looking all around at all the banners and stands. This was the most people- as well as other creatures- I’d ever been around before. My escorts seemed to know where they were going, so I tagged along with them. Though the vendors and stalls admittedly caught more of my attention than it should have. 

Now, I’m so ignorant to the ways of civilization that I had no clue what was going on. I knew about money- though I never had any myself- and I knew about bartering. There were lots of pretty things at many stalls I wanted to see closer and admire, but I knew I couldn’t take anything from here. I simply wandered and observed in an admiring though detached sense. 

I don’t know how famous or well-known Mandalorians are, but for some reason we were grabbing a lot of attention as we walked through the great hall. If I had been paying closer attention, I would have realized that all eyes drifted towards me after initially spotting the Mandalorian. I, however, was distracted with the stalls and their different wears. There were also the odd child or baby hanging around that I couldn’t help but coo at. I had a soft spot for young things. 

“Awe, a baby!” My hands clasped together excitedly at the sight of a creature-like infant. Both Kuiil and the Mandalorian paused to turn back to me, only for the Mandalorian to sigh and Kuiil to grin ever so slightly. We continued on until I got distracted at one particular vendor selling exotic flowers. I absolutely loved flowers; I would go out to gather a bouquet of them just to have at home all the time. My escorts stopped once again right as I was sniffing one of the prettier, pink varieties; an organic smile blooming across my face. 

Kuiil watched me for a moment. I was surprised when he then came over to my side. He took out these weird metal block rectangles, which I assumed to be currency, and handed it to the vendor. “For the girl,” Kuiil said to him. Without my comprehending what was happening, he plucked one of the flowers I’d been smelling and held it out for me. “T-thank you,” I faltered, taking it from him. This confused the Mandalorian more than me, as shown by his mild tilt of the head as he turned to Kuiil. Kuill glanced back at him and waved his hand up and down dismissively. “Ah, let her have a little happiness while she still can.” Wait, what does he mean by that? Confused and somewhat alarmed, I trailed behind them clutching the stem of the pink blossom in my hand. 

A shadier tented stall rested at the end of the great hall; the section where the ahem, scarier characters resided. I got more and more nervous the further in we went. Kuiil brought us to the tent; he and the Mandalorian didn’t hesitate to go inside. Me, on the other hand…… I wavered at the front of the text flap hoping to stay out of sight and attention of whoever was the vendor. The trader inside was a hooded fellow who looked rather…….. threatening; there’s no other way to put it. He also had a smaller employee there with him who glanced at my escorts, then at me. 

They spoke in a language I didn’t understand. Kuiil approached the main vendor with his arms up in the air; the Mandalorian right behind him. The vendor said something to Kuiil. “He is willing to trade all the parts you need,” he translated to the Mandalorian. “I’m not going to trade anything. My parts were stolen, likely by him,” the Mandalorian pointed at the vendor angrily. They then both spoke in that unknown language again; the vendor must have said something offence to the Mandalorian because he was laughing about it seconds later. “You understand this?!” My heart leapt into my throat as the Mandalorian yanked out his blaster. Thankfully Kuiil stopped him before he could anything he would regret. “Easy, easy,” he tried to calm the helmet-wearing man. 

It was around this time that the vendor’s helper took a keen interest in me. He waddled over to me and proceeded to grab a few strands of my hair. Meanwhile the others kept discussing in their strange language before the vendor finally noticed me. He stopped, flinched upwards, said something and pointed right at me. Both men peered over their shoulders to see the two of us; me trying to get him to let go of my hair. “Get away from her!” The Mandalorian commanded to his helper in a tone I’d never heard from him before. A protective tone. 

The helper immediately flinched and scuttled away from where I was standing. Hey, wait; I bet that creep just asked if I was up for trade. The nerve! Kuiil kept speaking with his hands now out at his sides imploringly. The vendor considered for a moment, rubbing his thumb underneath his chin. He then said something which seemed to upset Kuiil and confuse the Mandalorian. “The egg? What egg?” The latter asked the former. Then, quite surprisingly, they both glanced back at me with concerned expressions- well, at least I could tell Kuiil’s was mildly worried. “What are you going to do about her?” He inquired all while looking my way.


	7. The Force For Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando brings OC with him on a job.

“Why didn’t you just leave me with Kuiil? We didn’t have to stay at the castle if it was dangerous, but did I really need to come with you?” I asked as I was being dragged yet again on another goose chase by the Mandalorian. I could practically hear his eyes roll inside his helmet. “We’ve been over this. You’re staying with me- end of discussion.” My god. “Wouldn’t it be safer for me back there?” “You’re safest with me,” he retorted. “You don’t trust Kuiil to keep me safe?” “I don’t trust anyone with my target.” Oh yeah, that’s right; I’m a “target”. Can’t forget that- insert eyeroll here. 

Neither of us said anything else until we reached this cave some time later. “Stay here,” the Mandalorian instructed before hesitantly approaching it. For a moment, nothing happened. Something must have been inside the cave judging the way he touched all the weapons on his person. He pulled out his gun and stepped towards the darkness. Oh yeah; this is safe. My abductor left me out here all alone in god knows where, without anything to defend myself I might add. I took the opportunity to assess my situation for like the millionth time. 

Why am I letting him kidnap me and tug me around like this? I know Master told me this was coming, but does that mean I was just meant to be submissive and passive to everything? My abductor makes it aggressively clear that his protection is not optional- I’m his precious bounty. It doesn’t help either that I’m submissive by nature. Yoda said that’s a good thing as it makes me an exceptional student; despite my not being sure how to “believe” in the Force. I’ve always been quite obedient; my masters tell me what to do and I do it without question or objection. It’s not that I’m blinding, mindlessly following them either. On the contrary, they’ve never given me a reason not to trust them; everything they’ve told me and taught me as been for my own good. Why would I disobey them? Aside from feeling unnatural to me, it also seems illogical since they’re looking out for my welfare. Obeying them felt like the rational thing to do. 

But what about now? All my great uncle told me is that someone named Din something-or-another was going to come and take me. That, and I was going to survive the ordeal; oh, and not to tell him about the Force. He never said anything about me passively letting him take me or drag me around all over the planet. I didn’t even know if the Mandalorian was this Din character; he might not be for all I know. Perhaps Din what’s-his-name is supposed to snatch me away from him. It’s possible. Or maybe the Mandalorian is Din last-name-here. Who knows? 

I kicked the ground with my foot a little. “Could you give me a sign?” I asked out into open air, hoping one of my masters’ apparitions would appear. Nothing, unfortunately for me. But I wasn’t done yet. I’d keep trying, if only in vain; hell, it made me feel better. “A hint? Anything? Just tell me what I’m supposed to do. Please, great uncle? Master Obi-Wan? Master Yoda? Hello? Anyone listening? Anyone?” Still nothing. Gees, how can I have three ghost guardian Jedi and have no idea what I’m doing? That should be impossible. Heh, or maybe this is some sort of lesson I’ve got to figure out on my own; it wouldn’t be the first time. Just hope I don’t miss the point of the lesson if that is the case. 

I peered back into the blackness of the tunnel. He’s been in there for a while now; a while meaning two minutes. If I wanted to make a run for it, this would be the perfect time. I guess he just trusted me to do as I’m told and wait here for him. It didn’t help that I had no clue where we were either. Even if I did try to escape, I would have no idea what to do next. And besides, my best guess at what Master said to me is that I’m not supposed to run; not yet anyway. Nugh! I love them so much, don’t get me wrong. But why do those Jedi have to be so damn cryptic all the time? Why can’t they just outright say “do this” or “go there”? It would make my life as their student a hell of a lot easier. 

The sudden sound and red glow of a gun firing made me jump. I don’t know who else was in the cave, but I’d be willing to bet that the Mandalorian was shooting at something. Oh great; more killing. My eyes did widen however at a very loud roar and the sight of my abductor being tossed out like a bag of trash. He fell onto his back on the ground, which honestly sounded and looked rather painful. 

I instantly want to run to him, try to help him and check if he’s injured, but the Mandalorian held up his hand at me. “Stay back!” He yelled without looking my way. That’s when this huge animal with a very long and pointy horn stomped out of the black, looking quite perturbed and ready to attack. I gasped in utter horror as the Mandalorian got his deteriorator out and aimed it at the creature. Oh….. oh no; nope! Not happening in front of me! My feet ground into the dirt as my hand reached out to him.

“No! Don’t, stop! It’s an animal! It’s an innocent animal!” My plea was totally ignored; he fiddled with this thankfully busted gun. The creature roared a couple of times and I knew that I had to intervene least one of them die in front of me. I know Master told me not to tell the Mandalorian about the Force……. but he never said I couldn’t use it, especially to save a life. 

The animal charged, knocking the now standing Mandalorian far away once more. Alright! Here’s my opportunity to get in between them. Don’t ask me why I was suddenly overcome with the desire to protect my kidnapper, and it’s against my vows to kill anything. I’m a healer- that’s all. While he struggled to move, I darted in front of him protectively without a game plan in mind. My arms shot out at my sides, trying to block the animal’s view of helmet man. 

To my astonishment, the creature breathed loudly but didn’t directly charge at me; merely stood there looking at me for a moment. That moment of nonaggression didn’t last too long, however. Within a minute, it was charging for me like a ship on warp speed. The only consolation this gave me was the fact it wouldn’t hurt the Mandalorian this time. I may not be physically strong but that doesn’t exclude me from being protective. 

I guess I wasn’t paying any attention to the man behind me though as I soon felt myself being tackled to the ground off to the side. This effectively led the animal smashing his head against a large bolder nearby; he was running too fast to stop. The Mandalorian, who had his armoured arm over me, got up and rushed to the side in seconds; I think he wanted to draw all attention away from me this time. Welp! That’s not gonna happen. Heh, irony: I want to protect him while he’s doing everything he can to defend me. This should be easy to figure out, but it’s not. 

“Ok! No killing! No killing! It’s just a scared animal! Don’t kill it!” Of course, just like last time, my begging was ignored. Man, he’s like he took a vow opposing mine. While I can never kill- even in self-defence- he should at least never kill unless it’s absolutely necessary. Wait…… My eyes scrolled down to my open palms, then out into nowhere. It’s not necessary; I can save both. Well, I can try anyway. After all, isn’t this what all my training has been for these past thirty years? 

After being dragged around a bit by a piece of wire, the animal flung the Mandalorian by its horn once more. This time the Mandalorian stayed down; I think his body had taken a real beating. My protective instinct kicked into gear as he rolled agonizingly onto his side. He reached for a mere short blade to hold up, which would do nothing. That was when I saw another chance. I didn’t hesitate to get between them once more and raise up my right hand. My eyes closed in concentration. Concentrate, concentrate……. You can do this. Just concentrate; save the Mandalorian. Save the man and the animal; you can do it. This is what you are meant to do- you save lives. That is your role in the universe. My eyes winced shut as I tried to focus harder. Your role……. 

I didn’t have to look to know what was happening. The roars grew quiet while all stomping disappeared. I didn’t open my eyes to see the creature floating in the air or the Mandalorian gawking at me in sheer amazement and confusion. Admittedly this was one of the largest objects I’ve used the Force to lift; it was really draining on my system. My hand started to tremble as my knees began to quake. Save the Mandalorian; save him…… 

“R-run! Get away! Get……. away…….” I managed to get out before my internal vision got blurry. The world around me grew deaf; I was progressively losing all feeling in my limbs. The world was becoming a dark, noiseless place for me. The last thing I remember was all sensation disappearing from my hand as I continued to hold it up in front of me. My mind drifted slowly yet steadily off to a familiar setting. Somewhere far, far away……. 

[“Master! Look at all the pretty flowers!” Master Obi-Wan Kenobi’s spirit watched as eight-year-old me merrily gathered a bouquet of little pink blossoms. His eyes lowered onto me gently. “You like them?” “Oh, yes! I love flowers,” I replied, unaware that a lesson was about to take place. We were by a small warm pond beside the blossom tree. 

Obi-Wan bent over to pluck one flower off the ground; one I dropped earlier. He inspected it thoughtfully. “It’s interesting to consider. Something so beautiful with such a short time in the universe.” “Master?” I blinked back at him, not sure what he meant by that. He merely kept staring at the blossom in his fingers. “Look here, child. This flower is just like you, and even me; back when I was alive. It is radiant now but soon enough, it will wilt away and fade- just like all the others. Its energy will go back into the universe, and the cycle will continue itself.” When I didn’t say anything, he gazed at me. “Do you see? All living things are like this little flower. Nothing is permanent; everything is constantly in flux. Good, bad; motion, stillness. It must be this way for all life to continue; this flower must die to make way for new blossoms next year. Do you understand?” I unthinkingly nodded in a slow fashion, which revealed that I didn’t understand at all. 

My master gave a single chuckle to himself and handed me the flower. I took it and he placed his hand on my shoulder. Our eyes locked for a moment. “Embrace the transience of life, Saoirse. Only then will you be able to use the Force without fear. Understand that life- all life- is impermanent. Try as you might, there is nothing you can do to change that.” 

I considered this for a moment, or as much as a child’s brain could process something as deep as this. My tiny finger went up to press on my lip in a thoughtful fashion. “But…… I thought you said to value all life.” “I did, and you are to. You must understand that all life is equally temporary. While some may live longer than others, no one lives forever. That is why you must value all life and use the Force for good,” his eyes narrowed, and he gave my shoulder a squeeze. “You were born to use your gift to heal; never to harm. Your great uncle’s last student did not understand that, and the galaxy paid dearly for it.” “Master……..” My eyes shown up at him. 

Without consciousness, my gaze shifted down to the flower in my hand next. Master Obi-Wan saw but didn’t interrupt my clear train of thought. I pondered for another minute to myself. “These flowers are going to die soon…….?” “Embrace their transience, child.” “B-but they’re not dead yet. Is there anything I can do to keep them alive……. for a bit longer?” I shyly asked. His eyes shown down at me for a second before he smiled. He straightened up, still grinning tenderly and pointing to the pond. “If you put them in water……” 

I didn’t have to be told twice. As quick as my little arms could, I gathered up all the picked flowers in sight and brought them over to the water. My dead master quietly observed as I carefully dropped them onto the surface, taking extra care not to get the petals wet. That was the first day I started collecting flowers whenever I left the hut and returning with a bouquet ready for water. I know what Obi-Wan was trying to teach me with hindsight, and it worked more or less. It must have because soon after we had this talk, I took my vow to never kill a living thing. And for the sake of my healing abilities and power to use the Force, I kept that vow.]

That was the last thing I remembered before everything- memory and consciousness of the external reality- went completely black.


	8. the Topic of Din

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando and OC have a talk.

The first thing to hit my five senses was the sounds of mechanical beeping and the low flashing lights of a switchboard. I groaned softly as my hand rose up to touch my head. Oh, I passed out again; I must have exerted my body too hard back there. My eyes took their time to flutter open. It all started coming back to me. The kidnapping, the animal with the large horn, the desert setting…….. the Mandalorian. 

The Mandalorian? My eyes opened wide and I made myself sit up a little; just enough to see where I was and what was going on. Now the beeping and blinking lights made sense; I think I was on a ship. My abductor was sitting in a chair in front of the steering wheel in front of me. It took me a second to realize that I was laying on a cot with a blanket covering me near the back of the room. The pink flower Kuiil bought me was resting at my bedside. 

I suppose he must have heard me shift around since the Mandalorian spun his helmeted head around to face me; he didn’t take his hands off the controls in front of him. I looked at him with concrete eyes. “How are you feeling?” He inquired. “Better. Where are we?” “Currently in the middle of space,” he pressed a button. I glanced out the front window ponderingly; this was my first time in space, after all. “I see………” That’s when it hit me. I scanned around to him- and only him in the room. 

“Where’s Kuiil?” “He stayed on Takodana.” “Oh,” my eyes lowered; I had hoped to say goodbye to him. After observing me for a moment, the Mandalorian stood up and went to one side of the room. I curiously watched him grab something in both hands and bring them to me. “Eat,” he held out what appeared to be bread and a cup of water for me to take. Of course this caused me to blink up at him in surprise. When he didn’t back down, I proceeded to grab; but I didn’t consume it yet. Instead I continued to stare at him perplexed and he went to sit back down. “Uh, what is…….?” “You need to eat,” he replied when I didn’t finish my question. Sounds good to me. “T-thank you.” 

I got up, nibbling on the bread and strolling over to the switch board. The Mandalorian peered my way slightly before turning his attention back to the ship’s controls. He pressed a few more buttons before glancing at me again. “How’d you do that? Back there, what’d you do?” “What do you mean?” I took a sip of my water. “You know what I mean. The magic or whatever it is you used to lift that Mudhorn. What was that?” 

“Hmmmmmm,” I considered for a moment while taking another bite of bread. This may be my opportunity. He’s always refusing to answer any of my questions, and now he wants some information from me. And while I can’t exactly tell him the truth, but I could use this to my advantage. I grinned a bit, glancing at him while swirling my water gently. “I’ll answer your question, if you answer one for me.” Oh, the look I’m sure he was shooting me behind his helmet; I had to stifle a bigger grin. He did not act impressed- not at all. Still, I stuck to my guns and folded my arms in a playful fashion. 

“I won’t ask any questions about the helmet.” Oh, the sigh he gave; it took everything I had not to laugh. “Fine. One question,” his head tore away from me. I inwardly smiled in victory. “Ok, where are you from?” “Pick another question,” he groaned. Heh, oh boy; this shouldn’t be as much fun as it is. “Alright. How old are you?” “Pick another.” “Uh, have you always been a bounty hunter?” “Ask me something else.” “Fine. What’s your name? Can I at least know your name?” He hesitated for a moment. “Mando. You can call me Mando.” “Mando…….” I repeated. That’s not Din what’s-his-name, but then, Mando might not be his real name either. 

“Now it’s your turn,” Mando’s head darted in my direction. Ok, I didn’t really think this one through. Here it goes! “I……. was born with the ability to……. move things. I don’t do it often because it really drains me, but I can.” He thought about what I said for a second. “How?” “I don’t know. I can just do it.” “Is that all you can do?” “Uh…….?” I hesitated. Should I tell him about my healing factor? How would I tie that into levitation? If only he knew about the Force…… 

“For now,” I decided to grin at him, hoping he’d drop the topic. Mando eyed me for a minute, then turned back to his controls. I took my last sip of water while he pressed yet another button. This time a hologram of a man- this one not wearing a helmet- appeared from up the board. His hands were on his hips and he looked like a rather serious guy. “Mando. I received your transmission; wonderful news. Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat her or keep her as a slave……..” 

Mando had the good sense to shut it off at this point. I blinked to him alarmed. That hologram was talking about me! Who’s going to eat or enslave me? Just where is taking me to exactly? “Who was that?” I asked, not holding back any venom in my tone. Mando didn’t even give me a glance. But I wasn’t done yet; oh no. My hands went straight on my hips. “Where are we going exactly?” “You’ll see soon enough.” “You’re bringing me in for a bounty, aren’t you?” He sighed but didn’t deny it. This gave me an idea- a new tactic, that is. 

I looked forward out into the blackness with tons of tiny dots scattered over. My arms folded so I could lean on the switch board comfortably. “This is my first time ever flying in space. I can’t get over how vast everything is out here. And so many stars……..” My eyes lowered gently before going on. “Was it stupid of me? To let you take me without even putting up a fight? I just did what I thought I should. But now I’m not sure what that even was. Heh, maybe I’m a moron who doesn’t have a clue. I wish I knew what I was doing……..” 

Mando didn’t reply verbally but judging by the slight, gentle motions of his helmet, I could tell he was paying attention intently. I grinned at him before peering out of the window. “I hope Din whoever finds me soon,” I let fall from my lips. “What did you say?” The Mandalorian’s head rapidly jerked my way. I blinked a bit startled by the severity and stun in his tone. “Huh? Oh. Well you remember before when I said I knew this was coming- I knew that I was going to be kidnapped? Someone told me. They said that someone named Din uh…… I can’t remember his last name, but I was going to meet this Din person. I think he’s a person,” I felt the need to tack on. 

For some reason, Mando was acting all flustered and reserved upon hearing this. Maybe he knew this Din character; he knew, and I wasn’t supposed to know. Oops. “Who told you that?” He quite suddenly demanded. “Oh, uh…… I can’t really say,” I also fumbled a little now too. “Tell me,” he pressed and after a moment of staring at his helmet, I felt compelled to give him some sort of satisfactory answer. “My great uncle; he kind of……. well, he sort of can tell the future. Aspects of it anyway,” my gaze turned back to the dark, endless surrounding in front of us. 

Mando considered this for a minute, also looking forward. “What else did he tell you? Your great uncle?” “Nothing. Oh, wait a minute! He said something about these “Imperials”. I have no idea who they are though; he wouldn’t tell me,” he doesn’t tell me much about the outside world at all. When Mando didn’t utter even a word here, I let out a wistful sigh; my cheek rested on my palm. “For whatever reason, they’re apparently searching for me. Great uncle said they’ll stop at nothing until they have me in their possession. He didn’t tell me anything about this Din man either, other than he was coming for me as well at some point. I’m not sure if he’s connected to the Imperials or not, but I don’t think so.” “Why not?” He spoke for the first time in minutes. “Because my great uncle said I could trust him. He said something about balance? Not that I understood what he meant. All I know is that the man who raised me told me that I could trust him. Heh, even if he acts untrustworthily.” 

Mando got real quiet again, allowing me the opportunity to examine his helmet again. He could be Din last-name-here, but judging by his reaction, I doubt it. He seems more upset that I know about this Din man in the first place. Maybe they’re sworn enemies, or even friends. Master never told me that he would be the one to take me from Takodana. Din whatever-his-name is will probably rescue me from whoever Mando is selling me too. Speaking of which…….. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be bringing me to the Imperials, would you?” The Mandalorian merely, wordlessly looked at me. I grinned in comprehension, nodding my head a little. I then straightened up and turned to go lay back on the cot. But before I left, I flashed him one more small smile. “Don’t worry; I won’t tell Din that you were the one to bring me in. I’ll do my best to forget all about you once you leave me. You’ve been a good kidnapper, all things considered. Plus revenge isn’t my style.” With that, I went to lay back down and get some more rest before we landed again.


	9. Mando's Great Sin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando hands OC over to the Imperials.

Mando had been acting really weird since our talk earlier; well, weirder than usual. I had a nap on the cot, only to be woken up once we landed on an unfamiliar planet- unfamiliar to me anyway. Mando was stone-cold silent, guiding me along without so much as even looking at me. I on the other hand, was less than impressed with our surroundings. And here I thought the castle was rough; at least the castle was cool and colourful inside. The bristliest looking individuals you’d ever seen lined the streets; none of them were friendly. Mando made me wear the dark blue cloak again, which I happily agreed to; anything to draw less attention to myself. 

We walked through these two gigantic pillars onto this main-looking street. Of course, just like at the castle, some eyes wandered over to us; I tried to ignore anyone sneaking a peak our way. I just stayed close to Mando; he eventually led me down this quiet, steep staircase. I didn’t even have to ask to know that this was shadier part of the area. The mood felt very tense; like awkwardly, uncomfortably so. The Mandalorian wouldn’t even look at me, which only made things worse. He had this sort of upset vide about him; kind of angry. Though I had no idea why. He’s a bounty hunter; he’s about to get a huge payday. What’s there for him to be mad about? 

I knew he was angry by the way he pounded on this one door with his fist. This scary eye techo thing instantly came out of the walk, speaking to Mando in a foreign language. Mando held up some ID tag that the robot scanned. It then went back into the wall and the door slid open. After a second these two weirdos in white suits stepped out. Oh great, more helmet people. They gazed at the Mandalorian, then at me. For the first time since we stepped off the ship, Mando peered over at me ever so slightly- judging by the motions of his head- and back the strangers. 

Without a word transpiring between any of them, they motioned for us to follow them inside. One white guy went in first, followed by me, then Mando, and helmet man number three bringing up the rear. The door shut behind us without any of them having to do or say anything. Not scary at all- insert eyeroll here. 

While walking along, I couldn’t stop my eyes from exploring around the place. It was grungy and had this odd, almost greasy smell. I guess the white guy leading me didn’t like me glancing about. Without warning, he reached over to grab hold of my wrist. I blinked straight at him in surprise and dismay; so did the Mandalorian. “Easy,” he told the guy presently dragging me along. “You take it easy,” white guy shot back, though his tone wasn’t too aggressive. Another door opened ahead of us and they brought us into this warehouse like room. There was a desk and two men inside; one wearing a fancy coat and the other in a lab suit and glasses. They both looked real glad to see me…….. for some reason. 

“Yes!” Coat man cried for joy as we entered through the threshold. They came immediately towards me as white man let go of my wrist. “Yes, yes, yes; here you are. Here you are at last!” The one with glasses proceeded to hold a red, beeping light up to my eyes, inspecting each one thoroughly. I could tell by the Mandalorian’s body language that this annoyed him. A sickening grin bloomed across glasses guy’s face. “Very healthy.” His hand then reached over to take hold of my jaw. He moved his thumb in such a way that my mouth was made to open. Before I could react, he took a peak inside. Luckily, he removed his hand before I had the chance to shove it away; needless to say, I glared at the two unimpressed with their conduct. They’re treating me like cattle at an auction. And they weren’t done yet- oh no. 

“Very healthy indeed. And young; I’d say about thirty. She’s young and strong.” “Excellent! She’s in perfect condition,” the fancy one exclaimed. “She doesn’t look much like Anakin,” glasses guy crossed his arms while still staring at me. “She’s not a Skywalker. Qui-Gon Jinn’s great niece,” he replied. My mouth dropped open gobsmacked. They know who my relation is? “Great uncle……..” I whispered unthinkingly out loud to myself. Both their heads turned back to me like I’d grabbed their attention; glasses guy wasn’t smiling any longer now. He scanned me over several times. 

“She’s not as strong as Anakin was,” glasses guy announced like this was a bad thing. Fancy man waved him off. “She’s strong enough. Now that Yoda’s gone, she’s the best we’ve got.” “Y-you know Master Yoda?” I asked, speaking for the first time in a very shaky voice. This caused them to stare at me but not give me an answer. Instead fancy man took a step my way. I could practically hear the Mandalorian’s muscles tense in response. 

“No, this is better. She’s young and her skills have not entirely developed yet. She’s malleable.” “That’s true,” glasses guy thumb ran under his chin in a contemplative manner. “What’s your name?” Fancy guy was the first to speak to me directly in the room. “S-Saoirse,” I leaned back a little. This whole experience was terrifying to be honest. Fancy man grinned at me before flashing his hand at glasses guy. 

“Dr. Pershing, would you please take the asset to the lab. I’ll inform the others of her arrival.” “Come, child,” glasses guy, who I’m assuming is Dr. Pershing, took me securely by the wrist. I looked back at the Mandalorian as I was drug out towards a door at the other end of the room. I had to look at him; I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see him again. Mando’s helmet followed me wherever I moved; he was still as stoic and silent as ever. But it was obvious to me that he wasn’t happy right now- I don’t know why. He was about to be praised by the big boss in the room; he was grinning over at my abductor. “Your repetition was not unwarranted.” I don’t know if Mando liked hearing that from him or not. His body language was still tense. 

“How many fobs did you give out?” Mando finally spoke, questioning fancy man. “This asset was of extreme importance to me; I had to ensure heh, Saoirse’s delivery.” After coolly stating this, fancy man went over to his desk to pull out this heavy sounding white, metal box. “But to the winner go the spoils.” A press of a few buttons and the sides opened up to reveal more currency blocks inside. So I was right- Mando was selling me to these people. The Mandalorian slowly walked over to the desk, picking up a few blocks in his hand. Fancy man watched him with a sick, twisted grin; one I had the misfortune to see before I was taken away. “Such a large bounty, for such a small package,” his voice had a disgusting turn to it. That’s when Mando gazed up to see Dr. Pershing finally dragging me into the back through the door. My mouth opened to say something as my brain tried to comprehend that this would be the last moment I’d ever see him. I wanted to say something, say goodbye but there was no time. There was simply no time. The door shut behind me and that was that. I truly believed in that instance that I would never see the Mandalorian again.


	10. Dr. Pershing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC has a talk with Dr. Pershing.

“Ow!” I winced as Dr. Pershing stuck a thin needle into a vein in my arm. He was drawing blood from me- my very first time. “Just doing a midi-chlorian check,” he took the needle out once the vile was full. Onto a little scantron it went, and the doctor checked the screen; the wheel on it was spinning quickly. “Interesting. Almost eighteen thousand. The highest known midi-chlorian count was over twenty thousand per cell; you’re just under.” “W-what is midi-chlorian?” I asked in a frightened tone. I didn’t feel nearly as safe around these men as I did with Mando. His head spun back my way. 

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s these intelligent, microscopic life forms living in your cells. Think of them as organisms living inside of you,” Dr. Pershing said as he went back to type something into the computer. I peered down at my hand a bit curiously. I didn’t know that’s what they were. “A-and Anakin……? He had the highest midi-chlorian count in his cells?” “You don’t know about Anakin?” He flashed me a mild side grin. I frowned but didn’t say anything. He chuckled a bit before turning back to his computer screen. 

“Do you know what midi-chlorian does?” “N-no.” “But you know about the Force?” I hesitated to reply but only for a minute; I knew he was expecting an answer. Slowly my head began to nod up and down. This seemed to satisfy him, as he nodded his own head. “Who taught you about that?” He then asked me, still looking at the screen. When I didn’t respond this time, he paused his typing and spun his chair out around so he could face me. I eyed him suspiciously for a moment before finally opening my mouth. “My great uncle.” 

“Your great uncle? The dead one?” I frowned for what felt like the twentieth time that day but nodded my head. He laughed out loud to himself. “Well I’ll be; you are special. Special enough for Obi-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost to come to you.” “He’s my uncle.” “That doesn’t mean anything. He’s a Jedi; they cut all family ties when they go in front of the Jedi council. Heh, though I heard your uncle had an “unusual” Jedi philosophy,” he chuckled, spinning back to his stupid screen. Of course this only made my frown grow, but I thought it wise to watch my words around this shifty doctor. I decided to ask questions instead. 

“A-are you working for the Imperials?” “How do you know about them?” He immediately fired back, though not in a rude or angry voice; more surprised than anything. “My great uncle told me.” “You know about the Imperials, but you don’t know who Anakin Skywalker is? Just where did you come from? Where were you hiding five years ago?” “Five years? W-what…….?” “Ah, never mind. If Obi-Gon Jinn wanted you to know, he would have told you. He didn’t tell you much, by the sounds of it.” “You’re right there,” my eyes narrowed intently onto him. 

Dr. Pershing pressed a few more buttons before facing me again. “Have you met any other Force ghosts?” “A few……..” “Did they teach you how to use the Force?” “For healing,” my lips curled into an expectant frown. He didn’t appear too pleased by this response. “Don’t you want to be a Jedi?” “I am a healer; I was born to heal. That is my role in the cosmos,” I said with finality. He chuckled, but it was a sinister chuckle. “Who told you that?” Like hell I was going to tell him it was Obi-Wan Kenobi; it sounded like he already knew too much about me. But I didn’t know anything about him or what he and those other goons wanted with me. My back straightened a little. 

“What do you want with me? Why did Mando bring me here?” The doctor took his sweet time answering me. “You’re here because you are valuable to us.” I considered this for a moment, letting my eyes wander out in front of me. “How?” “Heh, you’ll see in time. For now, you do what we say when we say it. Judging by your past experience with Jedi masters, you’ll know what that’s like.” You guessed it- I frowned upon hearing this. What a jerk; he’s just like all the others. Won’t tell me a damn thing; only not hearing it from him made me madder. 

“Do you need me to use the Force?” “Like I said, you will learn when the time comes. But…….” Dr. Pershing paused for a moment, which caught me by surprise a tad. His lips parted as sliver as his sucked in a silent breath. Then his eyes locked onto mine. “Can you really use the Force? Not just for healing, I mean.” All I could was stare; stare blankly and nod my head. Oh, how his eyes lit up in curiosity and delight- much like a child. “Show me,” he commanded in a slightly excited tone. 

After watching him for another moment, I raised my hand out in front of me and pointed it to something loose in the room. That happened to be this weird, canister tube with a lid on it. Shutting my eyes, I concentrated on the canister. It slowly hovered in the air, floating across the room over to my hand. All the while the doctor witnessed the event with large, astonished eyes. Once it was in my hand my eyes opened and my muscles involuntary relaxed. It wasn’t as bad as when I moved that horned animal before, but I still felt mildly tired now. Dr. Pershing got up from his chair, came over to me, and took the canister from my hand. “Remarkable,” he gazed over the tube with still wide eyes. They were on me soon enough. 

“You are truly fantastic. You will be of great use to us.” I didn’t reply, instead focusing on my heavy breathing while trying to regain absolute control of my body. It was just a little canister, but I wasn’t used to using my powers for levitation; only healing. This explains why I didn’t notice him pull a short needle from behind his back, concealing it in his hand. Dr. Pershing took a few more steps towards me; his eyes shimmering down at my head. “Yes, you are precious. You were worth every cent; of that, I am sure.” No response on my end; just smaller, lighter breathing now. His eyes narrowed keenly. “And I’m not going to let them kill you; not after what you’ve shown me. I’m not going to let you go like that.” 

Before I could ask what he meant, I suddenly felt this sharp pain stab my neck. The needle wasn’t long so it didn’t go deep; just deep enough to enter the blood stream. I began to wiggle and gasp, clutching his arm with both my hands. He retracted it with ease as I fell off the patient table onto the floor. Breathing was becoming more difficult now; my vision was getting progressively blurry at an alarming rate. The doctor merely watched me with a detached yet pleased look on his face. The last thing I saw was him reaching one hand down for me, then everything went black. Against my will, I fell unconscious yet again.


	11. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando rescues OC from the Client.

[“But what is the Force, Master?” “It is just as I’ve said, my child. The Force is energy; the Force is life. You must feel the Force around you, around me; binding us together,” Master Yoda explained to me for what felt like the hundredth time. I sighed, skipping a rock across a pond; the same pond I dropped the flowers into four years ago. 

No matter how many times Yoda or any of the Jedi tried to explain the Force to me, I could never understand it. Master Yoda told me I have to believe, but I don’t know how to believe in something I don’t understand. I was so confused; I was always confused. They told me its between everything but that doesn’t make sense to me. How can I learn to use and control something so incomprehensible? I threw another stone and Yoda looked unamused. 

“You must do, child.” “I try, Master, but…….” “No. There is no try; only do and do not. You do not use the Force to your true potential yet,” his finger raised up at me. I gazed over to him defeated. “But I don’t know what to “do”. Why is this so hard for me? Please help me, Master,” my eyes had a begging tint in them. His head gave a small shake. “You must help yourself; sense the Force and let it guide you. I cannot do this for you, nor can I tell you how to do it. But you must do it- do as the Force guides you.” 

My thumbs twittled together as I thought for a moment. “Would it be easier if I became a Jedi?” “The path of the Jedi is not for you. While Obi-Wan has taught you to value all life, as you must, you lack essential traits a Jedi requires, and have those they must forgo.” “What traits?” I blinked curiously. “You lack fear- it is true- and fear is a path to the dark side. But you have a great compacity for love.” “Don’t Jedi love?” “Not the way I foresee for you. This is a different kind of love; a singular kind.” “I love great uncle, Master Obi-Wan, and you.” His head nodded a tad. “But this is different. This kind of love is against the Jedi code, for Jedi cannot marry. It is this kind of love- of self-sacrifice- that will make you a good healer.”] 

The sensation of being covered by something woke me up. My eyes gently opened to find myself staring up at a ceiling. I felt something soft and warm cover my body; and I do mean my whole body. It didn’t hit me immediately that I was naked and the thing concealing me was a familiar dark blue cloak. Whoever draped that over me wrapped me up in it like a swaddle. The room was noisy and had this panicked tension. 

“Please, please, please.” I know that voice; that’s Dr. Pershing’s voice. He sounded frantic and scared for some reason, and not anywhere near me. Without any forewarning my body was suddenly lifted up by two strong, armoured arms. It’s only then that I saw who my champion was. My eyes stared up to see Mando. Mando! Oh my god! And here I thought I’d never see him again. I don’t know how long it had been since that slimy doctor knocked me out, but it was obviously long enough for the Mandalorian to come back, break in, and find me…….. somehow.

My first reaction was to say hi or something like that. But one, my throat was super dry- almost painfully so- and two, I think Mando wanted me to be quiet. He didn’t set me down on my feet right away; instead he shifted me so to hold me in one arm, freeing his other hand for his blaster. We went uneventfully threw a few hallways, then once we were in a bigger room, Mando finally set me down. My feet stumbled a bit, the effects of the drug still wearing off. The Mandalorian made sure I was steady before turning to the now opening door. Two guys in the white suits from earlier entered and they instantly started shooting at each other. Mando gently yet rapidly shoved me behind a corner to block me from any fire. 

Shooting turned to punching and kicking really fast. Another white guy raced in. “Where is she?!” He demanded like he wasn’t aware of the Mandalorian’s arrival yet. Too bad for him. Since I was now between new white guy and Mando, Mando didn’t hesitate to grab hold of my wrist. I didn’t have time to blink before I was yanked right into him, pressing up against his armour. Mando’s arm snaked around my waist while the other hand um…… well put bluntly, roasted that guy alive. I had to shut my eyes and turn my head away. His screams sounded unearthly. 

“Hurry!” Another guy got too close to us- close enough for Mando to electrocute him. I wanted to my saviour to stop killing so much but alas, here we are. Once the room was clear- save us- Mando retracted his arm from me, took hold of my hand, and led me cautiously out through the back door. It was about now I became conscious of going out into public in nothing but a robe wrapped around me like a blanket. What that sleezy doctor removed all my clothes for is beyond me. Maybe easier to track my Force-sensitivity. Who knows? 

It didn’t take long for us to run into yet another one of those white men; of course he had to be shooting at us right away. Completely blocking me, Mando shot him back. Once he was down, the Mandalorian kept guiding me along the way by the hand. Every room we entered, he took his time to cautiously scan around first. Eventually we reached this really big, kind of empty, dark room which was rather silent inside. We only had to take a few steps in however, for things to get bad fast. 

One door opened and two white guys entered- guns pointing at us. “Freeze! Don’t move!” One barked. Mando made sure to stand in front of me, but that didn’t do any good to the other two men now coming in from behind. We were efficiently surrounded. “Hands up! Drop the blaster!” I think the wheels in Mando’s head started to turn; I could tell by the way he wrapped his arm around me again while not taking his eyes off the freaks. 

“Wait. What I’m holding is very valuable,” the Mandalorian told them. “You! Get over here now!” The first guy- I’m guessing the leader of the gang- ordered at me. I didn’t do anything except press up against Mando’s armour. Man, it’s like hugging a rock. “Here,” still holding onto me, Mando lowered to put his weapon down onto the ground. In the process, I noticed the thing on his wrist make a noise. My eyes peered up at Mando’s helmet. What is he…….? 

“Now turn and face me. Stand up.” Before we even had the chance, something- a lot of things actually- flew off Mando’s wrist thingy. Whatever they were, they took good care of the four men very, very quickly. With a quick look around, Mando’s hand reached for mine, he picked up his blaster, and out we went. 

Finally, finally we made it outside. It was dark out and we appeared to be the only ones in the vicinity. That didn’t last too long though, once we reached the main street. Despite being completely stark-naked underneath this cloak, it gave a surprising amount of coverage. It looked like a long, blue gown if I held it right. 

Now, I knew we were being trailed at some point. Mando already knew by the way his hand kept touching his blaster. When men came out into the open ahead of us was the time his feet came to a stop. Within quiet seconds we were circled once more; there were tons of those red blinking trackers around. Uh oh, wait a minute……. 

“Welcome back, Mando,” I knew I’d heard that voice from somewhere but couldn’t put my finger on it right away. It was only once he came into view that I realized it was the same guy from the hologram back on Mando’s ship; the one talking about the bounty, aka me. He put his fist on his side and was definitely not smiling. “Now give her to me,” hologram guy demanded. 

The Mandalorian’s hand caressed his gun again. “Step aside. I’m going to my ship.” It was around this point that some of the cruder men encompassing us started to jeer, whispering not so discreetly to each other. “She’s gorgeous……” “She’s……. naked.” “Hey, hot stuff! What’re you hiding under there?” “Honey, why don’t you give that cloak to me?” “Yeah, heh. Gotta make sure the cargo’s intact before we deliver it,” one playfully shoved another in the rips. Hologram guy rolled his eyes unimpressed and gave his head a little shake. “Enough!” He then glared back at Mando severely. 

“You give the bounty to me, and perhaps I’ll let you pass.” “She’s coming with me,” Mando said with definiteness. Mando……. I blinked up to him astonished for some reason. I mean, he did just risk his life to save me. Granted, he’s the one who handed me over in the first place, but he came back……. He came back for me. "You balance each other. Remember that when you find reason to distrust him." A reason to distrust him…… Mando hand-delivered me to them, and then he risked life and limb to take me back. My eyes lowered onto his helmet. I think I understand for the first time what Master meant when he told me all that. 

Too bad hologram guy wasn’t going to let Mando escape with me that easily. Seeing as the Mandalorian had a soft spot for me, he decided to play on that. Hologram guy pointed at me and spoke in a softer tone now. “If you truly care about the girl, then you’ll hand her to me. And we’ll discuss terms.” “How do I know I can trust you?” Mando asked this but I already knew he had no intention of giving me back; not after what he risked to come fetch me. Hologram guy’s eyes sharpened. “Because I’m you’re only hope.” 

Mando’s head spun to face me; his gaze lingered on me for a brief moment. Though he said nothing, I knew he was considering all his options and quickly weeding them out. Guns raised in our direction; tensions heightened. But soon enough Mando shot one of the creeps surrounding us. With his arm coiled around me yet again, he threw both of us behind some metal boxes. Blasters shot, people yelled- the classic battle scene ensued. He pushed my head down so he could confidently shoot with both hands.   
“Drive! Drive!” I hadn’t realized that we landed on a frater, but we were moving soon enough; getting shot at the whole way of course. The robot driving the cart got its head blown off by hologram guy. That’s when the Mandalorian pulled out his disintegrator. One by one, people turned to dust and soon began to run. Pretty soon those remaining were hiding, but still nearby. “That’s one impressive weapon,” hologram man called from behind a pillar. 

“Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to walk to my ship with the girl, and you’re gonna let it happen,” Mando announced. Course hologram guy wasn’t satisfied with that. “No. How about this? We take the girl, and if you try to stop us, we kill you. And we strip your body for parts.” “Mando,” I reached out to touch his arm afraid. No, he’s not gonna die; they’re not going to kill him on my account. If only one of us can get out of this alive, it’s going to be him. I’m a healer, a peacekeeper; I keep people alive. And I want to keep Mando alive more than anyone at the moment. 

“Y-you’ll let him go?” I asked in a much louder voice this time. Mando seemed horrified by this but I stuck to my resolve. Some of the jerks began jeering again in mocking tones. “Awe, you hear that?” “That’s so precious.” “She cares about the Mandalorian.” “Why? Who’d care about someone like him?” “Oh who cares why? If it’ll get us her, that’s all we need.” “Yes, sweetheart. We’ll let the Mandalorian go if you come out.” “Yeah, and leave the cloak behind, why don’t ‘cha?” Laugher filled the air. 

All the while, I hadn’t noticed one of them sneak around from behind. The creep took hold of my bare leg, causing me to shriek really loudly. “Don’t touch her!” Mando kicked him square in the face. He got disintegrated in the blink of an eye and guns started blasting all over again. This time Mando tried burning them alive, which seemed to work for a moment. And when that was out of juice, Mando gave a frustrated huff. They kept shooting at us and Mando laid down low beside me. Our eyes met- well at least I think they did. We looked at each other and I grinned. I don’t know why I grinned. Maybe I thought the situation was pointless and we were going to die anyway. Maybe I was beyond grateful that he came back for me. Maybe I wanted his last moments alive to be positive ones. For whatever reason, an organic smile blossomed across my face; not a big one but wide enough. My lips then parted a sliver; my eyes lowered gently. 

That’s literally when a miracle occurred. Hugh blasts lit up the night sky from high above; men immediately started fleeing and yelling. Individuals wearing the same helmet as Mando appeared from out the sky using jet packs. They didn’t wait to engage in combat once they arrived. Mando merely watched in awe for a minute, then he spotted hologram man and raised his gun. Thankfully hologram guy made a run for it, so he didn’t die right in front of me. One of the bigger Mandalorians- I think that’s what they are- landed right near us, protecting us with ample shots and a really big gun. 

“Get outta here. We’ll hold ‘em off,” he said to Mando. “You’ll have to relocate the covert.” “This is the way,” they looked at each other. “This is the way,” Mando reiterated with a head nod. What way now? What are they talking about? After giving one another a mutual nod, Mando collected me in both arms; he held me princess-style. Once he had me securely in his grasp, he ran towards the pillars exiting main street. The ship wasn’t that far from the entrance to the place. The Mandalorian got us safely on board, but we weren’t out of the woods yet. Before he even had the chance to set me down, someone jumped down onto the bottom deck. Of course it had to be hologram guy. 

“Hold it, Mando.” Even with all the armour he had on, I could feel Mando’s body clench as he slowly spun around to see hologram guy aiming a blaster at us. Or I should say Mando; I was put down super-fast and dragged behind him so he could block any shots to me. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but then you broke the code. I get it; you care for the girl. She obviously cares about you too. Just hand her over and I promise, nothing will happen to her.” “They wanted to kill her,” Mando retorted angrily. “But they won’t. I won’t let them. Now, don’t make me shoot you. I’m taking her one way or another.”

That was not a wise thing to say. Mando shot this wire thingy out at a nearby button which proceeded a lot of stem. Hologram guy fired rather aimlessly until his blaster was out of bullets. Then Mando shot him, or at least off the ship; I don’t think he actually killed him. Once he was off, the door slammed shut and the ship went into drive. I watched as Mando flew us away from that god-forsaken place as fast as he could. 

Once we were a considerable distance, one of the Mandalorians- the one who initially helped us escape- zoomed up using his jetpack. He saluted Mando before descending back down. My Mandalorian seemed pleased with this, leaning his head back a tad. “I got to get one of those.” “Awe, that would be fun,” I agreed. “You’re not using it. It’s for Mandalorians,” Mando told me; he said this, but I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was relieved. I watched him for a second, then grinned. “No fun.” He didn’t reply. When he didn’t, I smiled over at him. 

“So was it worth it? The bounty you got for me?” Silence. “And yet, you came back. Why?” More silence; Mando wasn’t even looking at me now. This made me chuckle softly to myself; my eyes peered forward to my hands. “Why’d you come back after all the trouble you went through just getting me there? Never mind feeding me and making sure I didn’t die…….. Why did you? We barely even know each other.” A pregnant pause ensued “No more questions,” was his candid reply. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling again- so like him to say that. 

“Well, for whatever reason you came back, thank you. That guy was horrible; Dr. What-His-Name…….. Staying there would have been definitely not ended well for me; I could tell that much……..” I stole a peak at his helmet-clad head. I saw him and grinned to myself. “Thank you…….. thank you.” Obviously there was no reply, which I didn’t mind. I simply gazed back forward out at the switchboard I was currently leaning on. That’s when I saw it; the pink flower Kuiil had bought me back at the castle. It was resting on the dashboard peacefully. Huh, I pondered while staring at it. That’s not where I left it. Wonder what it’s doing up here? Curious; very curious indeed.


	12. A New Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new comes unexpectedly into their lives.

[Author's Note: I want to apologize to all Cara Dune fans among my lovely readers. She will not be making an appearance in this story. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against Cara Dune! But this is a love story- albeit a slow-burning one- and I want to introduce my favourite romance trope. I adore writing and reading love triangles (only if they are done in a very specific way, mind you).

A love triangle will be introduced in this chapter. For this to happen, I am going to change Cara Dune's character to a male version: Carl Dune (cheesy, I know). Don't worry; Saoirse will be completely faithful to Mando, no CarlxOC whatsoever. But I do like love stories where the desired party is entirely loyal to love-interest-one, while also being unsuccessfully pursued by love-interest-two. Plus I like the idea of Mando getting jealous.

I want to thank all my lovely readers again for your support and kind comments; readers like you make me want to continue writing. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the story!]

I tossed a ball up and down in the air bored. I was laying on my cot while Mando drove the ship. He had yet to tell me where we were going. Time to ask some questions! I threw the ball up once more and I rolled onto my side so to face the back of his chair and window.

"Where are we going?" "Somewhere we can lay low," the Mandalorian responded, not looking back at me. "Why don't we go back to Takodana? You could bring me home," I suggested, my great uncle's words lingering in the back of my head. "It's not safe. Too many know you're from there. We'll have to find somewhere else." Sighing, I rested my head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Man, flying through space was simultaneously enchanting and mind-numbingly boring. It's not like my protector was the talkative type either. To be honest, I didn't expect Mando to stay with me like this; I thought he would drop me off somewhere and get on with his life. But I was grateful he was sticking with me, especially without me having to ask. I don't know how long we'd be together like this, but I was glad we were.

Meanwhile, while I was doing utterly nothing, Mando was analysing his computer screen. "Let's see: Sorgan. Looks like there's no star port, no industrial centres, no population density. Real backwater skugle, which means it's perfect for us." Does it? I blinked at him ponderingly. His head turned around to face mine. "Ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple of mouths?" Whoa, months? Who said anything about "months"? I sat up on my cot, looking at Mando with unfirmness. "Don't I get a say where we go?" "No," he turned back to his switchboard, causing me to stifle yet another smile. Oh boy. He does know I'm a grown woman, right? But then, something tells me he doesn't have a lot of experience with women in general; or maybe women like me. You know, soft, calm, gentle, doesn't shoot things- that kind of lady. He pressed a few more buttons and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. "Nobody's going to find us here," he announced quietly before flying us down.

We landed not too long after. I knew Mando had something in mind when he guided me to his chair; he hasn't let me sit there thus far, not that I ever wanted to. It was merely the fact that he was guiding me along that caught my attention, though I waited for him to speak first. "Now listen; I'm going to go out there and I'm going to look around. Shouldn't take too long." "Ok," my head cocked to the side slightly. "Now, don't touch anything." Oh boy, how old did he think I was? Five? "I'll find us some lodging, and I'll come back for you." Apparently so. My eyes rolled so hard inwardly when his finger began waving at me.

"You stay right here; you stay, don't move. Understand?" Oh my god. "Mando, I'm not a child. You don't have to worry; I'm not going to wander off. I'll wait here for you," I grinned. His finger wagged a bit more as he digested what I just said. "Great." And with that, the Mandalorian left me alone on the ship, shutting the electric door behind him. Once he was gone, I sighed for like the millionth time and let myself fall back into the chair. "Why does safety always have to be tied with boredom?" Even though he told me not to touch anything, my hand lightly played with the joystick.

"Saoirse." I practically jumped out of my chair. Now that's a beloved voice I hadn't heard in a while. "Master!" I spun around gasping. My great uncle's spirit smiled warmly at me; his hands folded out in front of him. My own hand rose up to my chest. "Am I glad to see you! I have so, so many questions!" "I know you have, but there is not much time. I must be brief," he came over to me, placing his hand over top my shoulder. "M-master, what's going on? Who are these Imperials? Why do they want me so badly?" What started as one question turned into a ramble. His grinned widened- as wide as his grin could get mind you- and he gave my shoulder a squeeze.

"All will be well, if you trust the Force, my child." "B-but that doctor…. He said something about midi-chlorian and how I had a lot in my cells. Why does that matter? W-what's going on?" "I have told you before, Saoirse. Your body has the second highest count of midi-chlorian in history; I have only known one to have more than you." My eyes drifted off into nowhere rememberingly. "Anakin…..?" That made Master's grin fade for some reason. He watched me for a moment before saying anything else.

"Never forever, child; I am always with you. In the meantime, I want you to be mindful; sense the Force and act according to its will." "Well how do I figure out what the will is?" "When you quiet your mind, you will hear them speaking to you." But I never hear anything. Ugh! Why can't the Force try and talk to me a little louder? Sensing my mounting frustration, Master Obi-Gon Jinn's grin returned; he patted the side of my arm affectionately. Our eyes met again.

"Follow the will of the Force. It will not lead you astray." "Yes, Master," my eyes lowered. But I still had so many questions. My mouth opened as I drew in a deep breath. "I just… Can you at least tell me what these Imperials want with me? Can I give it to them, so they'll leave me alone?" He chuckled, giving his head a shake. "I am with you, child. Always remember that I am with you- all of us." "Master, I….."

Something went bump suddenly making my head glance to the side. I leaned back towards the door to see if anything had fell. When I looked back seconds later, my great uncle was gone. "Master? Master!" I frantically rushed to the front of the room, only to find it completely barren. "Great, he's gone…." I tossed my hands up in the air. My feet began to pace aimlessly around the floor. "Fantastic. I have one man telling me to stay put, and another man telling me to "follow" the Force wherever it leads me. Ugh, why are men always bossing me around? "Do this; do that." No one ever asks me what I want! Oh no; they just tell me- cryptically- what to do, then take off. Meanwhile I'm left here with no idea what I'm doing," I finally collapsed back into the chair, resting my forehead in my hands agonizingly. "I have no idea what I'm doing….."

It was around this time that I heard the front door open up. My first thought was that it was Mando returning; that wasn't long! But when there was no "I'm back" or any announcement, I grew suspicious. Cautiously, I got up from the chair and stepped close enough that I could see the opening. The door was certainly open but there was no one there- no one I could see anyway. "Mando?" I took another step forward. No reply. How'd this door even get open? I turned to see that the button to open it- or at least the button I think opened it- wasn't on. That's weird; the button hasn't been pressed yet the door's opened up. It's like it opened on its own…. "I want you to be mindful; sense the Force and act according to its will." Wait.

Seconds later footsteps could be heard approaching the now open door. I stumbled back a few steps myself, alarmed by this. Ok, so perhaps the Force opened the door. Why? And more importantly, who's intruding on our ship? I don't think it's Mando; he would make his presence known. Whoever it was, they sounded reserved and careful with their steps. My feet shuffled back far enough that I didn't see them first come onboard, though I did hear them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous Mando? What brings you to this god-forsaken place?" Mando? Oh! It must be someone who recognizes this to be Mando's ship. I didn't reply, silently hoping he'd just go away once he realized the Mandalorian wasn't here. "Your ship break down or something?" Of course, the universe likes to be ironic with me and he didn't. Instead he came fully onboard, stomping up the control room. He seemed just as surprised to find me there as I was to see him.

His arms folded as he scanned me once over. "Well I'll be. I didn't know Mando had a wife." "Uh, we're not… Hey, wait. Who are you? W-what are you doing on our ship?!" This man- he looked… well, battle-hardened is the best way to put it. Grizzled but muscular. His face had a bit of stubble on it and his hair was long on one side. He had this weird tattoo on one arm. After onceing me over- again- he cracked a grin before having a look around the area.

"Mando here?" Should I tell him the truth? What if I lie? But then, what if I'm honest? What if he's one of those people with those trackers- the ones meant for hunting me? Well, I figured that he'd learn soon enough that Mando wasn't here, so I decided to go the truthful route for now. "He's gone out," I stated flatly, not taking my worried eyes off of him. Yeah, thanks Force; this is just what I need right now. More things to worry about.

The intruder gazed back at me. "Who are you?" "I asked you first. Who are you? Why are you looking for Mando?" "Don't see how that's any of your business, little girl." I frowned, clearly upset by this lack of respect. "If you're looking for Mando, he's not here. I suggest you leave until he returns." "When will that be?" "I….. I don't know. He just left a little while ago." "Why didn't you go with him?" "B-because! Because he told me to stay. He…. he wanted to check this place out first." This man chuckled, only fanning my annoyance. "That was sure nice of him, wasn't it?"

This man started to explore casually, pausing every now and again to examine something. I watched him, utterly unimpressed. "So you're just going to stay here and wait for him?" "Got nothing better to do. Let's kill some time; tell me more about you." "I beg your pardon?" My frowned widened. "Heh, a beautiful woman on Mando's ship? I don't know if you know this, but he's a bit of a loner. Where'd he even find you?" "We met on my home planet," I didn't bother holding back any venom. He glanced my way. "Oh yeah? Where're you from?" Ha! I don't see why I should tell you. Instead of answering, I kept my mouth shut and his eyes narrowed curiously onto me from where he was standing.

"So it's going to be like that, is it?" "You should probably just leave. Mando won't like you being on his ship without his permission. You gotta trust me on this." "Oh, he won't, will he?" Chuckling, the intruder stepped my way, making my eyes grow in alarm somewhat. He was getting too close for comfort for my liking. But his smile wasn't one of malice; more general interest. "What's your name?" "Saoirse." "Saoirse? That's a nice name." "T-thank you…"

That's when it hit me like a lightening bolt. Gees, I can't believe it took me this long to remember it. "You will be taken from here. Do not leave until then; he will find you." Of course! He could be…. He might be…. "A-are you…. Is your first name Din?" I know I didn't ask Mando this outright when he first abducted me, but I wanted to be sure that this man- if he took me- was in fact the right guy. I still had no proof that Din what's-his-name was the Mandalorian, after all.

The intruder blinked at me in confusion, then glanced away down at the switchboard. His fingers fiddled with the pink flower still resting on it. "No, I'm no Din. For your purposes, my name is Carl- Carl Dune." Carl Dune…. So not Din, then? Man! When am I ever going to meet this Din character? How many men am I going to meet before him? Still, I'd be lying if a part of me wasn't relieved. I wasn't ready to leave Mando just yet. Now I know he could leave me at any time- that was the reality. But I was glad this Carl Dune wasn't Din last-name-here…. It meant Mando and I had some time still together.

Analysing my facial reaction, Carl chuckled to himself yet again. He took another step towards me, leaving the flower intact on the dashboard. "Are you looking for this "Din"?" He asked me. "Not exactly…." He's supposed to be looking for me…. I think. "You sure are an interesting one. Where did Mando find you again?" Before I could tell him that it's not of business, a welcomed familiar voice cut viciously through the air. "Get away from her!"

Within the blink of an eye, the Mandalorian was back and boy, he did not look happy. Neither did Carl Dune for that matter actually. Upon first seeing each other, without any hellos or greetings, they began to engage in a fist fight. This obviously upset and stunned me. They were pushing each other, kicking the other in the gut, and punching all around. It honestly sounded kinda painful. My protective instincts kicked again as I refused to let my friend get pulverised by this interloper. I say that, but I didn't want Carl to get hurt either. The perfect ending was no one getting injured, and that's what I intended to achieve.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop fighting! He didn't hurt me! He's not here to hurt me! Stop punching each other!" Now who has to act like they're dealing with a bunch of children? As you can probably guess, they didn't stop, causing me to do the biggest eyeroll in history. This was senseless violence; I don't care if they're men and warriors. They kept sounding like they were genuinely hurting one another. "For the love of god, stop! This is pointless! You both lose, or win- whatever you want to call it. It's a tie!" Both hands flew exasperatedly up into the air. But nope- the brawling continued until they were both on the floor.

After rolling around several times, things finally got too serious when they yanked out their guns at the same time; they were pointing them at each other's head. Ok, this has gone too far. They shouldn't just kill each other like that! What senseless nonsense was this?! Both heads turned to face me as I got on my knees and reached my hands out to cover the front end of both blasters. Oh, now they're stopping?! Short of blowing each other's brains out. My face had an expression that read "I'm a hundred and ten percent done with your nonsense" on it. "Stop; just stop."

The Mandalorian then looked back at Carl, who gazed back at him. "How'd you get onboard?" Mando demanded. "The door was open," Carl stated matter-of-factly. "Why'd you open the door?" Mando then turned to face me. "I didn't," I exclaimed. "Heh, you left her here alone with a broken door? That's some grade-A protecting there, Mando." "The door isn't broken," Mando retorted threateningly. "Clearly, cause if she didn't open it…."

My stomach thought that now was the perfect time to embarrass me, growling quite loudly all of a sudden. Both heads were looking my way again and my cheeks sizzled red; my hands retracted from their line of fire to wrap around my waist in a desperate attempt to make my belly quiet. Well what did I expect? I hadn't eaten all day. Mando was still getting used to this whole feeding me on a regular basis. He must have known that's the issue as he peered back at Carl. "Want to go get some soup?"


	13. Lodging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando finds lodging.

"So you've gone and got yourself a wife?" "We're not married," Mando dejected. "Oh, so she's available then?" Carl leaned back in his seat grinning at me. We were currently sitting round a table; me situated in between the two warriors. While they were yacking, I was drinking some broth.

"How long have you been here?" Mando asked, trying to steer the conversation off the clearly uncomfortable topic. "About a week," Carl shrugged one shoulder. "How'd you end up here?" Mando asked and Carl peered at me through the corner of his eye. "Let's just call it an early retirement." Then Carl took a swig of his soup before glancing back at the Mandalorian across the table.

"Look, I only went onto your ship because I thought, for some bizarre reason, that you might be inside," the sarcasm in his tone made me smile- a little. Seeing this, Carl continued. "I didn't know you had… company onboard, and judging by the way you tackled me, very precious company." "Yeah, that's what I figured," Mando's head gave a nod. "Well this has been a real treat," grinning at me, Carl left his bowl and got up from his chair. I flashed him a side-smirk before finishing up my soup. Mando looked at Carl intently. "So?" "So I'd say that unless you want to go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first. She's welcomed to stay, course; but you're gonna have to leave, Mando old boy." Then, with one last smile my way, Carl took off. Mando waited until he was gone before turning to me. "Well, looks like this planet's taken." I loved how he didn't even momentarily consider leaving me here with Carl Dune. Is that wrong that made me so happy? I don't think so, I decided taking one last sip of broth.

Mando and I went back to the ship afterwards. He headed out to do some maintenance; that's where he was when I guess these local farmers approached him. I know he was talking to somebody since I could hear then as the door opened. I peered up from where I was sitting on my cot. "Come on; let's head back," I didn't recognize that voice. "It took us a whole day to get here," I didn't know that one either. "Now we have to ride back with no protection, to the middle of nowhere." Who were these guys? Why are they talking to Mando?

"Where do you live?" I next heard the Mandalorian ask. There was the universe's quickest pause. "At a farm. Weren't you listening? We're farmers." Wait, he's talking to farmers? Where there's farms there's water; and that means I can finally have a bath! "In the middle of nowhere?" Yeah, that's it, Mando; keep talking to them. "Yes," one answered. "You have lodging?" "Y-yeah, absolutely," the other spoke this time. "Good, come up and help."

So Mando emerged back onto the ship with these two weathered-looking men. They looked at me, then back at Mando as he began to instruct them what to grab. Together we all loaded a cart. Once the majority of the work was done, the Mandalorian gave me a blanket to wrap myself in; he made sure I was comfy in his own way. He paused to glance in my direction, resting his hand near my lap. "Stay here. I won't go far." I nodded, feeling a bit too tired to go anywhere anyway. He then turned to one of the farmers. "I'm going to need one more thing. Give me those credits."

I don't know where Mando went but roughly five minutes later he returned with none other than Carl Dune. "Carl?" I perked up upon their arrival. "Hey, Saoirse. Long time, no see," he gave me a playful, mocking grin. My eyes rolled from him to Mando totally confused; he merely stared back at me. "We have company." "I see that…." Slowly my gaze drifted back to Carl. He hoped onboard, as did Mando- once he closed up the ship.

"So we're basically running off a band of raiders for lunch money?" Carl asked Mando sometime after we'd set off. "You're doing what now?" "They're cornering us in the middle of nowhere. Last I checked that's a pretty square deal for somebody in your position." Oooooooh, shots fired. And yeah, he did completely ignore my question. The Mandalorian went on. "Worst case scenario, you tune up your blaster. Best case, we're a deterrent. I can't imagine there's anything living in these trees that an ex-shock trooper couldn't handle."

"What's a shock trooper?" I blinked over to Carl. He seemed surprised to hear me ask this. "You don't know what shock troopers are?" He countered. I shrugged. "My god, woman. Have you been living under a rock? Do you at least know what he is?" Carl's thumb stuck out at Mando. "I know he's a Mandalorian." "Do you know what a Mandalorian is?" My head shook. This made Carl laugh; Mando did not.

"Why are you two traveling together? She doesn't know anything about you." To be fair, Mando didn't know that much about me either. "It's a long story," I sighed, pressing my chin into my palm. "We got nothin' but time," Carl responded to me. We looked at each other for a second; that's when I came up with something. "I have an idea. Why don't we play a game instead?" "A game?" Carl's eyebrow lifted and Mando's head turned towards me. I grinned, sitting up a bit.

"How about I Spy?" "Pass," Carl's eyes rolled. "Ok, um…. How about Twenty Questions?" "What's that?" "We take turn asking each other questions until we've answered twenty." Carl considered this for a moment. "Can we veto a question?" I nodded. "Yep. Only answer what you're comfortable answering; and no personally tailored questions. So, for example, I can't ask what those tattoos on your arm mean." Carl and Mando gazed at each other before they nodded. Carl in particular leaned back, spreading both his arms out at his sides. "Sure, fine. Ask away."

"Ok, uh, what's your favourite colour?" My finger rested cutely on my cheek. Once again, Carl seemed taken aback by this sort of question. "My favourite colour? Huh, don't know- green, I guess." "And your favourite colour, Mando?" I then peered at the Mandalorian. He glanced down at his hands. "Don't have one…" "Black," Carl sent me a teasing smirk as he answered for Mando. The Mandalorian didn't correct him, instead simply turning his head in Carl's direction. But Carl was watching me by now, twiddling with his fingers a bit. "What's your favourite colour, Saoirse?" "Pink," I didn't even have to think about it. Carl laughed softly, dropping his eyes down to his hands. "Why am I not surprised? Ok, my turn. How many planets have you been on?" He chose to ask Mando first. "Lots," short and to the point- classic Mando. "Heh, same. You, Saoirse?" "Three." "Three?!" Carl gasped. His shocked reaction surprised me; my head cocked a little puzzled.

"Is that unusual?" "Seriously, where is this rock you were living under?" "Honestly," my eyes rolled. "It's not unusual," the Mandalorian reassured me. "Speak for yourself. I've never met anyone like you before," Carl's eyes were on me now. "Same here," I grinned back at him. Carl yawned, planting both hands behind his head and spinning his eyes back to Mando. "Alright, Mando; you're turn." "Pass." "Fine; be a kill-joy. Saoirse, go." "Hmmmmmm, how old are you?" "Now that's pretty personal, don't you think?" "Alright, what's your favourite star in the night sky?" And so on we went.

We played this game for a while longer, the two of the practically vetoing every other question; I'm the only one who answered all of them. It had its desired effect though. By the time the game wound down, we were all pretty tired. "We should get some rest," Mando quietly announced. I was the only one who had a blanket; I suppose Mando had his armour on and Carl…. well he seemed fine. Didn't have any trouble falling to sleep if he was uncomfortable. I remember the last person I saw before I closed my eyes was Mando. I saw him and gently shut my eyes as I drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.


	14. Lovely Hosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone meets some nice people in the village.

We all woke up to the sound of people- namely children- running towards the cart. The children first looked at Mando, the Carl, and finally me. "Well, looks like they're happy to see us," Mando sounded a tad relieved. "Looks like," Carl agreed with a side grin.

The village was…. primitive, but in a charming sort of way. One of the farmers led us to a place where we could stay for the night; or at least I think it was only for a night. Mando had neglected to tell me how long we'd be staying here for. The woman who owned the hut made up one of the rooms for us. She was rolling up some blinds when we arrived. "I hope this is comfortable for you. Sorry that all we have is the barn." "This'll do fine," Mando told her. Acknowledging this, she smiled over at me; I was right behind Mando upon entering the small place. I hadn't realized I was still in the door's threshold at the moment.

"I stacked some blankets over here for you, and I have a change of clothes if you'd like," the nice lady said. This caused me smile back at her warmly. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here; I really appreciate it." "It's no trouble, dear. Just let me know if you need anything…. you, or your husband," she tacked on at the end. "Uhhhhhhhh…" I was about to gently correct her, blushing furiously as I did so, before….

We both flinched at Mando's suddenly turning forward in a defensive, ready-to-attack manner. Then we spun around to see one of the young girls reaching out for me; she looked just as startled as we did. The woman frowned a bit and walked over to stand beside her frightened daughter; her arms wrapped around her protectively. "This is my daughter, Winda. We… don't get a lot of visitors here." "Hi, Winda," I bent down so to be at her eye level; I also made sure to flash her a reassuring, brilliant grin. Huh, it just then dawned on me…. This was my first time ever speaking to a child before. I didn't really know how to speak to them, but I already knew that I liked her. From the first moment I saw her, I knew I liked her.

"She's not used to strangers," Winda's mother explained to us before addressing her daughter. "These nice people are going to help protect us from the bad men." "Thank you," Winda said in a small voice. I smiled; of course I smiled. She sounded so cute! Mando's head gave a single, almost uncomfortable nod. "Come on, Winda. Let's give our guests some room," taking her by the hand, Winda and her mother then left us alone. I gazed back to Mando with sincere eyes. "They're nice." "Yes, they are….."

Late, the Mandalorian was busy fiddling with his disintegrator while I was nibbling on some food on the bed beside him. "Knock, knock," we both glanced to see the nice lady, along with Winda, entering the hut again. She had a tray with some food in her hands. "Come in," Mando said. The lady and I smiled at each other. Actually, she's the only other woman I've ever met in my life too. Lots of firsts today.

"Thank you for the food." "It's no trouble. Is there anything else I can bring you?" The mother asked me. I brushed a few stray hairs behind my ear. "Actually, there is something. I would loooooove a bath; I haven't bathed in days. Just some soap would be nice." The mother laughed and even the daughter giggled; Mando didn't seem to get it. "There's a very nice spring just beyond the forest line. It's very private; you'll be able to bathe in peace there." "Really?!" My eyes lit up. By now, Mando was definitely listening as he had stopped playing with his weapon. "I'll bring you some towels," the mother grinned. "Oh, thank you! I can't wait to be clean!" My hands excitedly rolled into fists. "Can I come?" Winda asked me. "Sure! I have no idea where it is anyway." Winda grinned, taking my hand in hers. "Come on! I'll show you the way!" And as we exited the hut, Mando took a worried step forward; his hand reached out in front of him.

"Wait, Saoirse. I don't think…." "She'll be fine," the nice woman cut him off before he could stop us. Thank goodness; nothing was getting between me and cleanliness right now. But Mando wasn't done yet. He looked at the lady, still obviously concerned. "I don't…." "She'll be fine," she reassured him again, gently lowering his raised arm. That was the last time I heard or saw the Mandalorian until I was freshly washed and scrubbed a few hours later. The time in between now and then was interesting, to say the least.


	15. Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saoirse has a bath.

"Your husband sure is protective," Winda's hand kept cupping the water, letting it slip from her fingers. "I sorta like it," I smiled over at her; I didn't bother correcting her that Mando and I weren't married. Everyone here just took us to be so… for some reason. I simply got undressed and hopped into the hot spring. Man, did that feel good! Wearing the widest smile across my face, my eyes shut as my arms stretched high above me. "This is the life….." My back slinked into the water.

"Do you miss it?" Winda proceeded to ask me out of the blue. "What?" My eyes were still closed, soaking in the sensation of getting clean. "Your home. Do you miss being away from home?" Now this did make my eyes open a sliver. Home- I hadn't thought about it much since we left to be honest….. "I guess so. I miss how easy everything was. If I wanted to eat, I could always find food; if I wanted a bath, I could take a bath. Now doing those things seems like a luxury." "Where is your home? Is it far?" "Quite a ways, I think; Mando does the flying….."

Winda's head nodded in understanding; her went back to scooping up water. "Do you like our planet?" "From what I've seen of it, yes. It reminds me a lot of my home planet. I grew up in the forest outside a massive valley. This kind of looks like it," except my home had a lot more flowers. Flowers….

My eyes opened completely and my head turned to see a little white flower near the water's edge. Winda watched inquisitively as I reached over to pick it up and set it in the spring. "What are you doing?" She asked in a curious tone. I grinned up at her. "Just preserving its life a little longer." "Oh," this seemed to mildly surprise her for some reason. I saw fit to explain my actions a little bit more. "Flowers don't have a long life naturally, especially after they're picked. But someone very precious to me once said that if you put them in water, they'll live a bit longer…." My eyes wandered back down to the floating blossom; a soft, ironic smile blooming across my lips. "I'm not doing a very good job at embracing the transience of life, am I…..?" I jested to myself out loud.

I let myself fall all the way into the water, allowing me to float on my back. My arms were out at my sides as I stared up to the sky. Memories started to flood me. Good memories…. Memories I wanted to treasure.

["Master! Master, don't leave me!" It was the middle of a thunderstorm and my seven-year-old self was terrified out of my mind. Thunder roared through the air, causing me to cover my ear and cry. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi reached out to rest his hand over my shoulder.

"You have nothing to fear, child," he cooed soothingly. "But I am scared. Please don't leave me," I kept on begging and begging. His eyes lowered onto me in a tender fashion. "Saoirse, look at me. I am always with you; I walk alongside you. Never forget that." "M-Master…." All I could do was stare up in awe at the man. "Do not be frightened; you are never alone. Remember that whenever it seems that life is too much to bear. We are here- all of us," his hand tenderly tightened its grip on my shoulder. While I was looking up at him, the flash of lightening lit up the whole hut. With gigantic, terrified eyes, I threw myself up at Master Obi-Wan, wrapping both tiny arms around him. He told me the truth that night: he was there for me, after all….]

"Master Obi-Wan," my eyes fluttered open softly. "Hmmmmmm?" Winda blinked to me. I didn't verbally respond, glancing over at her with a low gaze. "Who's that?" She pressed, more curious than anything. "One of the men who raised me." "Your dad?" "No," I don't know who my dad is. That's when something came to me. I sat up in the middle of the spring. Winda quietly observed as my hand stretched out in front of me, fingers out showing an open palm. "Use the Force." My eyes closed as I concentrated on the water.

Winda's eyes grew in shock and delight at the sight of little water droplets began floating up in the air. I have no idea how, but somehow I was using the Force to lift up some of the water in the spring. Just a bit, mind you; that's all my body could handle. "Wow! How are you doing that?!" "I'm…. not sure," I answered honestly, my eyes opening up. Lots of little water in the shape of bubbles were all around me, hovering just above the surface. Yeah, cause this is the will of the Force- for me to make cute water bubble I'm sure. Still, I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. Are you seeing this, Master Obi-Wan? I can use the Force when I try it seems.

I couldn't do it for long however; soon enough my body got tired and I had to stop. The amazed Winda ogled as all the floating water fell back into the spring; I also fell backward so my back could lean up against the side. Boy, I'd never seen wider eyes on a child- not that I've seen many other children in my life. "Are you a sorcerer?!" She asked me all enthusiastic. My head shook. "No, I'm a healer. It's… just something I can do." "That's so cool! Can you teach me?" "It takes a really long time. I've been practicing my whole life and I'm still working at it," I chuckled sweetly. "Pleeeeeeeeease? I wanna levitate stuff too!" "Sorry, I really can't teach it; I don't even know how I do it. I just… do it; it's weird." When Winda appeared disappointed, I flashed her a kind smile. "Uh, Winda. I'd appreciate it if you didn't anyone about this." "Why?" My shoulder gave a shrug. "It's supposed to be a secret." "Ok," she sighed wistfully. Content with that, I laid back and shut my eyes while taking in deep, deep breathes.


	16. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's communal dancing time!

"Ok, here's one. If a tree falls in the woods and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Carl, Mando, and I were sitting off to the side at the communal gathering; we were playing a different, improved version of Twenty Questions. The village had come together around this huge bonfire that lit up the whole place. Carl and I were eating seafood and some vegetables while playing; Mando, of course, ate nothing in front of us.

I shook my head, taking another bite of this white carrot looking plant. "That's a rhetorical question," I told Carl; he's the one who asked in the first place. "A what?" "It means there's no answer; it's a question that has no answer." "Well sure there's an answer. The tree either makes a sound or it doesn't. I wanna know which it is." "Ok, fine. Think of it this way: there may be an answer, but we'll never know what it is." "What's the point of that?" Carl took a sip of his water. "I answered your question; it still counts," I retorted, pointing at Carl with my forefinger. His eyes rolled unimpressed. "Fine. Mando, it's your turn." "Why do you keep wanting to play this game?" He asked in his usual, gruff voice. I smiled and Carl shook his head.

"For fun. Now ask a different question." "That counts," the Mandalorian shot back at him. "I have one. How many planets do you think there are?" I asked while taking a sip of my drink. "Oh, hundreds; maybe even thousands. It's a big galaxy," Carl hummed. "I wonder if it's possible to visit all of them?" I hummed to myself too, leaning back and gazing up at the night sky. "Likely not," Carl replied half-heartedly; I don't think my query could compete with meat at the moment. That's when I peered over to my side and caught Mando looking my way. This automatically made me grin.

"We can play a different game if you want, Mando." "Why does he get to decide? I, for one, like this game," Carl interjected. "It's fine. You two keep playing," Mando said. "But I….." Before I could finish my sentence, some of the villagers got up and started to gather beside the bonfire. It took me a moment to realize that all those congregating were women; adult women only. The men stayed where they were, though they had excited expressions on their faces. Within a minute, Winda's mother made her way over to us, or rather me. She grinned down at me with some elation.

"The wives are going to dance, Saoirse, if you'd like to join us," her hand extended down to me. Wives… Oh, yeah! She's a widow, so she must have been married at some point. I leapt up to my feet eagerly; I'd never danced before. Well, with other people anyway. Hand-in-hand, the mother guided me to where the other women were standing, but not before I heard Carl say to Mando: "Hear that? She said wives." I could feel the glare the Mandalorian was shooting him from here.

The dance was pretty simple. Just twirl around with your arms up in the air; we would form a circle by holding onto each other's shoulders at the end. Some men and children played these odd instrument-looking things. Dancing was actually super fun. Lots of laughing and spinning around quickly. I paused every now and again to gaze back at Mando and Carl; they both had their eyes glued on me with fervour. This only made me dance faster and better. God, I can't remember the last time I'd had that much fun.

After the dancing was over and the fire was put out, we all headed back inside. Mando and I went to the barn with two cots now laid out. While I got tucked into one, I noticed that he didn't lay down beside me. Still, I knew he wouldn't be going far so I elected not to press the matter. Instead I grinned while looking at him.

"That was so much fun! I love dancing!" "That's good." "What about you? Did you want to dance tonight?" A pregnant pause ensued. "Mandalorians don't dance." "Oh….." My eyes lowered slightly. Why am I not surprised? Still….. "So does that mean I'll never get to dance with you?" I heard myself ask before my brain could stop me. Mando stopped whatever he was doing for a moment to look back at me. It was quiet for a brief minute, then he spun back to his work. "Like I said, Mandalorians don't dance."

"That's too bad," I rolled onto my back so I could stare up at the ceiling. Well, perhaps this is for the best anyway; I'd never danced with a man before. I have no clue what that would even be like. My eyes gently shut as the back of my hand drew up to rest on my forehead. Sensing my change in mood, Mando spun his feet around to gaze at me once more. His hands rested down at his side. "But you liked it, right?" "Yes," I breathed softly. "Then that's all that matters," he proclaimed, now heading to the front door. Mando…..

"Where are you going?" Reopening my eyes, I sat up in my bed. His head was facing my direction as he was about to leave. "Just doing a round before bed. Go to sleep; I won't be long." "Alright… Mando?" I was able to stop him before he left. While he was standing there watching me, I grinned in a very gentle, sincere sense. "I just wanted to say thank you; thank you for staying here with me."

This seemed frazzle him for a second, as the Mandalorian merely stood there, his gaze drifting off to space, and his mouth silent. But eventually his head lifted back up towards me. "No need to thank me. I'm the one who took you from your home planet, after all," he said quietly. My reaction was to smile at this, cause of course it was; I smiled a lot around him I found. And I didn't even have to try; it just happened organically. "Have a good sleep," was the last thing he told me before leaving, careful to shut the door behind him.

I waited until he was gone before laying back down. My eyes were locked onto the ceiling again; my hands clenching the blanket up to my neck. Masters, I still have no idea what I'm doing or what I'm supposed to do. But something tells me that I'm right where I'm supposed to be right now; without my "doing" anything, I'm where I'm meant to be. That must be true, since I'm still with Mando. If it was against the will of the Force, then we would have parted long ago. But here we are, still together after all this time….. I peered over at his empty cot beside mine. I'm not totally clueless; I know he's checking the area of the village before he goes to sleep, just to make sure its safe. The thought made my eyes lower tenderly. Yes, this must be the will of the Force; I can't hear it, but it makes sense to me. We're together because everything around us willed it.


	17. Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go downhill fast.

I was washing Carl's grungy shirt. Winda's mother- no, I still didn't know her name- grinned over at me. We were washing our clothes at the local stream; well, I was washing my clothes along with Carl's. I hadn't realized how dirty, smelly, or stained they were when I offered to do his laundry this morning. There had been some disturbances around the area and the two warriors in the village went to check it out. Meanwhile I was here trying to figure out just how many holes Carl's shirt had.

My finger slipped through one I found; I frowned and the mother beside me laughed. "Maybe I should just make him a new shirt," sighing I set it down on the grass in front of me. "That is very nice of you to do his laundry," she coaxed. "Please, I could smell him from the barn. Now if only I can get him to take a bath," I flashed her a playful grin and she nodded in agreement. Thank god Mando took better care of his personal hygiene. I then began to work on one of my shirts, not noticing the mother now looking at me.

"You seem very happy here." "I am," I replied without too much thought; I was attempting to get this grass stain out of my shirt. "You fit right in." "Thank you," more unthinking on my part. Stupid stain! A moment of silence passed before she continued. "Saoirse?" "Yes?" Another pause. "We want you to stay."

This did grad my full attention as my head spun to face her; she was smiling tenderly back at me. "The community is grateful to have Mando and Carl's protection." "I don't know if Carl would stay…." "But you and Mando could. He could take off his armour, pack it all away in case there's ever trouble. You and him could have a good life; you could make a home of your own here. Wouldn't that be nice?" She asked while we were staring at each other.

Me and Mando, stay here forever? Together? I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought of it, only…. I never considered staying here on Sorgan before. "You will return to Takodana someday." It just seemed like going back to Takodana was a done deal; I would go home in the hopefully near future. While I liked this place a lot, it wasn't really "home" to me. I don't think anywhere but the tranquil landscape of Takodana could be.

But then, what about Mando? Where did he come into all this? We're we going to stay together until I got back on Takodana? Or would this Din person come and take me away first? Perhaps Din what's-his-name was the one who would bring me home. The consequent of that is Mando's and my parting at some point. The very thought made my stomach churn a little. No… I had to remind myself. I can't get too attached; not to Mando, or Carl, or Winda- anyone. I'm going to leave them all eventually; Master's knowledge of the future was never wrong. Din last-name-here was coming for me; sooner or later we would meet. We'd meet and balance each other…. No, I can't start a life with Mando here or anywhere else. Not when I know it wouldn't be permanent.

"I…. appreciate the offer; I really do, but…." My eyes lowered softly as I addressed Winda's mother. Before I could say more, Mando and Carl returned from the forest; neither of them looked happy. I could tell by the way Mando was walking that he was upset. "Mando?" I stood up nervously along with Winda's mother. Everyone started gathering around the warriors; all of us wearing worried expressions.

"Bad news. You can't live here anymore," Mando addressed the crowd. This was unsurprisingly not well received. Even I was taken aback. "What?" "Why?" Some of the farmers asked. "I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options," Carl implored them with his hands out at his sides. "You took the job," one local fired back. "Yeah," another concurred. "That was before we knew about the AT-ST," Carl rebuffed. "What is that?" A farmer asked. "The armoured walker with two enormous guns, that you knew about and didn't tell us." Insert even more upset rumbling here.

"Help us." "Help us, please!" "You're supposed to help us." "We hired you to help us. Please!" "Saoirse, do something." The sound of my name made me flinch. I think the others caught on quite quickly to where this was going as all their attention was on me now. "Yeah, Saoirse. Tell them to help us." "They'll listen to you." "Please, we need your help." That's when I rolled my head sideways to see Winda's mother staring at me with a pleading gaze. "We have nowhere to go," she said. Oh, boy; here we go.

With a deep breath in, my feet shifted round to face Mando and Carl; they were both already looking at me. "Guys, please- these people need your help," I pressed. "Saoirse….." Carl lifted up his hand to stop me, but I went on. "This is their home; there's nowhere else for them to go," my voice rose a bit. "Sure they do. This is a big planet. I mean, I've seen a lot smaller." "Carl, they must have family roots here going back generations. This land means something to them. Please, if there is anything you can do." Carl sighed, peered back at Mando then at me. "I understand, I do. But there are only two of us." That's when I knew it was time for a different tactic. Time to get some more information!

"This…. AT-ST….. It's a mech walker you said, yes?" "Yes," Mando spoke for the first time since he proclaimed the bad news. "So it's a machine, and it's on this planet?" "Basically, yeah," Carl nodded his head. An idea came to me. "Well, why don't you just blast it with the laser canons on the ship? Fly the ship above it and shoot it down."

There was a silence all around following this conception. Villagers looked at each other thoughtfully, as did Carl and Mando. The Mandalorian's head then moved downwards a sliver. "That…. could work." "Damn, why didn't I think of that?" "We just have to make sure the village is out of blast range," they discussed amongst themselves. I grinned a little, only to look down as something grabbed my hand. It was Winda's mother who was holding onto my hand while smiling candidly at me. "Thank you," she whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

I don't know why but, in that moment, something else came to mind. Something much, much more troubling. My eyes slowly returned to the conversing Mando and Carl. My lips parted a tad. "T-there's no….. living beings onboard that thing, right?"

Everyone suddenly got quiet again. All eyes shifted back to the now flustered and uncomfortable duo; Carl simply glanced at Mando, who faced me directly. "There are….." And I felt sick. My cheeks paled as any semblance of a grin disappeared from my face. Carl looked immediately alarmed. "Saoirse," he raised his hand up my way. "N-no….. No, you can't kill them. No." The villagers weren't too keen on this response, speaking up again. "What choice do we have?" One farmer asked. "It's either us or them." "And like you said, we have roots here; we don't want to move." Hearing their justifications only made me feel sicker. Sick…. This was sick. We're talking about people's lives here.

"Look, Saoirse; I get it. You're compassionate; you don't like people dying under any circumstances. But what choice do we have? Like that guy back there said, it's either them or the invaders. You can't have it both ways this time," Carl tried to pursue me. "No, there has to be another way. Can't you lure them off the ship and destroy the mech once everyone's off?" I wouldn't stop pushing. I couldn't- not when we have lives on the line. "And then what would they do? They might call for backup," Mando added his two-cents again. "I'm sorry; I am. But there's no other way. If you want us to help the village, we have to take them out. We'll do it far away so you don't even hear it," Carl tried to sound soothing now. I wasn't buying it, folding my arms angrily. I was pissed; more than a little pissed. Mad at them for the murder they were about to commit and mad at myself for even suggesting the idea. If I had known there were living beings onboard….

But I wasn't done fighting yet; oh no. Now I turned to Mando- my last hope. I stared over at him with long, sensitive eyes; my lips parting once more. "Mando, please…. don't do this. Find another way; I know you can. You don't have to kill anyone." "You think he wears that blaster on his waist as an accessory?" I think Carl immediately regretted what he just said judging by the monstrous glare I shot him. My eyes then drew back to the clearly conflicted Mando. "Please….. please. All life is valuable." "Who told you that?" One idiotic farmer had the gull to call out. "You wouldn't be saying that if you're life or home were in danger," another stupidly added. Oh, the way Mando's helmet dangerously spun towards him.

It was clear by now though- the tide of the town had turned against me. I went from begging for their village to be saved, to pleading for the lives of their enemies to be spared. I'm sure many of them saw me as an insufferable, sanctimonious saint; that wasn't my intention. I just didn't want people to die; doesn't matter if they're enemies or allies. As Master Obi-Wan once told me, all life is transient and therefore equal. It is possible to defeat your enemies without ending their lives….. Ok, I'm starting to see now why I wouldn't make a good Jedi or fighter in general.

Carl looked to Mando, who was twirling around to go back inside the barn. The mood was very, very dim at this point. "We're not leaving," Winda's mother finally announced when no one would say anything. "Mando?" Carl asked the Mandalorian. He hesitated for a minute and I held my breath. "We're going to destroy it," he eventually stated. "Mando!" My eyes widened and my heart dropped. I had never been so upset with anyone before; I just felt like I was going to burst out into tears. Mando's helmet turned my way one last time before he went inside. "I'm sorry, Saoirse, but I am a Mandalorian; we annihilate our enemies." When I utterly refused to say anything, instead electing to glare at him, he sighed. "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll never kill while you're watching."


	18. Enlightened Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar face comes to offer some wisdom.

Mando and Carl left early the next morning; we hadn't spoken a word since last night. The villagers largely avoided me except for Winda's mother and Winda. They acted sympathetic; the woman told me that couples quarrel all the time and we'll heal from this. "My husband and I would sometimes argue, but then we'd mend it," she said reassuringly. I looked at her, sighed, then left the house. I needed some time alone; time to be alone and think.

The perfect, secluded spot for this was at the hot spring. I sat beside it repeatedly dipping my hand down into the warm water; I used my palm as a cup. A sullen sigh fell from my mouth. Why am I surprised? I shouldn't be. We're talking about the same man who kidnapped me for money; who handed me over for a bounty. He's killed in front of me before, namely when he saved me from the Imperials. I didn't think about it much at the time; understandably my mind was in a weird headspace after being drugged. He's done a lot of questionable things since we been together. Hell, we're only "together" because he abducted me from my home without my consent. I would never do any of that stuff; our moral compasses are completely different. So I don't know why I should be surprised by his actions today….

I let out another sigh, continuing to play with the water. I can't believe I let myself forget…. Mando and I are nothing alike, and while I know I shouldn't get attached to him, this was painful to think about. Heh, irony- he's not Din last-name-here but we would balance each other in terms of good and bad, light and dark. That's mockery at its finest.

"Saoirse." My head shot over my shoulder to find a beloved figure standing behind me. "Master," I instinctively smiled. Master Obi-Wan… He was here with me; I finally got to see him again. "What's wrong, child?" He asked as if he didn't already know. Yet another sigh from my end. "My abductor and I are…. having a disagreement. He's going to kill some radars of the village we're staying in, despite me begging him not to." "You object to him taking another's life?" "Of course I do! It's just like you said, Master; all life is valuable. He has no right to take it; no one does." "Hmmmmmm, and yet, we do," Master Obi-Wan lowered his head a bit in a thoughtful manner. "What?" I blinked up at him puzzled.

"My child, it is true that I told you to value all life- this you must always do. But I also taught you that everything is impermanent; good, bad, light, dark. It is all fluid and must be brought into balance. The Force is our ally, and a powerful ally it is. But the will of the Force is neutral. It is neither good nor bad- it simply is, striving for balance in the universe." "M-Master, I…. I do not understand. If the Force isn't inherently good, then why can I use it to heal?" I pondered this very seriously. Master's finger rose up in a pointed fashion. "The Force can heal, but it can also harm. It depends on you how you use the Force, Saoirse." "But what does this have to do with my fight with Mando? I don't want him killing people. That goes against everything you've ever taught me."

"No, it does not. Remember what we've said about keeping balance? You must realize that not all can or will have the same disposition as you; not everyone has that luxury. The universe can never be wholly good, just as it can never be wholly bad. Master Obi-Gon, Master Yoda, and I have pressed you to use the Force for good. This is because the last man with a midi-chlorian count like yours turned to the dark side when he was prophesied to set the Force into balance." My eyes wandered into nowhere. "Anakin?" He nodded.

"So…. I'm supposed to use the Force only for good because this Anakin set it out of balance?" Master shook his head. "No; Anakin was before your time. But there are still plenty who offset the balance in the universe. You help to balance it in your own way." "Master….." "Your vow of nonviolence is what the Force demands of you, but the same cannot be said for the Mandalorian." My mouth shot open to retort this, but he wouldn't let me interrupt. "You are descendent of powerful Jedi, while he is part of an ancient martial order. Two opposites brought together by the will of the Force. He is a warrior and you are a healer; that is how you must be."

"But Master, I don't see why I should tolerate his killing anything." "Each of you must sacrifice an aspect of your old selves in order to achieve equilibrium. While you will not kill with your own two hands, you cannot stop anyone from doing to same- the vow was yours and yours alone. Likewise, the Mandalorian will only kill when absolutely necessary when you are near. You must release your desire to control him; to have him act as you will. He, in turn, will naturally adapt to you and your passive nature. He is a Mandalorian, Saoirse; accept him for who he is and give control back to him. If you desire peace, you must keep looking inward. Do so, and the Mandalorian will do the same."

After Master Obi-Wan told me all this, my eyes lowered in a soft, sincere manner. If I want peace, I must keep looking inward…. Huh, it makes sense all of a sudden. Ok, now I feel like an idiot; why didn't I see it before? I can ask Mando, and even Carl or anyone, not to kill but in the end, I have no control over their actions. And I'm ok with that. Sure, I can sacrifice my life to save someone who is going to get killed, but aside from that, I have little power. And I should trust Mando a little more too. Sure, we have different moral codes but maybe that's not a bad thing. Not the way Master put it anyway. Maybe he had to develop a differing moral code to survive as a Mandalorian; who knows what growing up with them was like. Maybe my nonviolent nature seems unreasonable to him. I had to admit, I did feel a little better now. At least I understood the situation clearer.

A smile blossomed across my lips. "Thank you, Master. I….." My words halted as I glanced up to find that I was alone by the hot spring. "He's gone….." I whispered to myself. Sighing yet again, my gaze rolled back to the water's surface; I stared at my reflection in it. I didn't know the Force was neutral, though it makes sense when I thought about it. Using the Force for evil…. It just seemed like such a foreign and impossible concept to me. But then, if that Anakin was as bad as Master says, then I can see why the men who raised me want me to get on the good side of the Force so badly. My eyes narrowed a sliver. I bet they don't want a repeat of whoever this Anakin turned out to be… Huh, I wonder if he's still alive; everyone always talks about him in past tense. If he is alive, I wonder if we'll ever meet…. Who knows? Well, my masters do, but that doesn't do me much good if they don't tell me.

I remember I was contemplating this when all of sudden, a voice shouted in the distance. It was an unfamiliar yet dangerous, angry sounding voice; one I'd certainly never heard before. It sounded like it was close to the village, almost like it was moving inside it. But that's not the worst part. The worst part- this man, whoever he was, was hollering my name.


	19. A Deadly Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new and dangerous arrives at the village.

"Saoirse! Saoirse Jinn! Where are you?!" That voice…. that voice. My heart skipped a beat- several beats- as my blood ran cold. Out of instinct, my feet took steps backwards. This was the first time since Mando picked me up at Takodana that I felt real, unadulterated fear. I wasn't this afraid when the Imperials and that crazy Dr. Pershing had me in their custody. But the way this new man belted my name just now….. Without having to look, I knew he was dangerous- deadly, even. Not someone I wanted to face alone. My body froze petrified with my hands out at my sides; my breath stilled as I waited, prayed he'd leave. But alas, no such luck.

"I know you're here, woman! There's no use hiding from me! Get out here and I mean now! You better not make me come and find you!" It took absolutely everything I had to peer from around the tree which was currently concealing me from any line of view. The man, or monster I should say, was as terrible and frightening as you can imagine. Tall and covered head to toe; he was also wearing a mask but looked nothing like the Mandalorian. In his right hand was a very large gun and in the left one of those red, beeping trackers. He had on a dark cloak with the hood up. His physical appearance matched the tone of his voice: very, very chilling.

Whoever he was, he waited for less than a half a second before shouting his tirade again. "I'll search every house one by one, killing all its residents if I have to!" How this beast was able to project he voice like that from behind a mask, I had no clue. What he threatened, however, made my eyes slowly widen in horrific realization. The villagers wisely stayed hidden in their huts, giving the village this sort of abandoned aura. Yet despite this, it was obvious that there were people around; not just me as indicated by his insidious tracking fob.

It hit me gradually at first, then sped up to a rapid pace. My eyes were enormous and staring off into space in utter, tragic horror. This fiend…. He was threatening the safety of the villagers in order to flush me out. And what's more horrific- I knew it would work. The moment he broadcasted this, my subconscious mind had already made its decision. Mando wasn't here; neither was Carl…. I was all alone to face him. Mando wasn't here….. My lips parted the tiniest sliver. I was unarmed and likely going to die if I confronted this villain….. But there was nothing I could do. I value all life…. There's nothing I can do.

I was completely numb to the sensation of my legs moving. One foot stepped in front of the other without it consciously registering. With my vision almost blurred, I automatically walked out from the thicket into the light of the village perimeter. The man's feet immediately shifted; he turned to face me. His gun raised on impulse; the tracker was beeping like crazy.

"Saoirse?" This was the quietest I've heard his voice, though it was still mightily vicious. I didn't answer; I couldn't. All words turned to cotton in my throat. I guess he took my omission to speak as a confirmation. He was now candidly pointing his gun's barrel at me. "Finally. You have no idea how long it took me to find you," his finger rested on the trigger. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe….. He's going to shoot me, right here and now. He knows that if I run, he can punish me by slaughtering the innocent villagers…. Winda and her mother. No, I can't run; I can't try to run away or even call for Mando. If I was alone, it would be entirely different…. But I'm not alone. I value all life; I was born to be a healer. If I can metaphorically heal this village by dying for its members, I'd do it without a second thought.

The creep shut one eye to steady his aim onto me. "Saoirse Jinn, consider this a death sentence by the order of the Imperial Empire," he hissed. The Empire? What is, or was, that? These were my only questions on the subject as he readied his gun in his hands. His last few words to me, I'll never forget: "I don't like killing girls, but for your bounty, I'll make an exception."

Before I could close my eyes to brake for the impact of being shot, I felt something hard crashing into me. Literally crashing into me, like a speeding spaceship. It was enough force to knock me off my feet, sending me straight onto the ground beside where I was standing. The pain didn't register right away; it just felt like something heavy pressing into me. After wincing shut, my eyes shot open to see Mando laying overtop of me; he was shielding me with his body. Both his arms were protectively out and close at my sides.

Like five seconds I was tackled down, an ear-shattering gunshot rang through the air. It was so loud that it sent birds flying in a panic in the nearby forest. After a second, Mando sat up in such a way that I was still laying in between his legs. We looked to where the shot came from. The only part of that I saw was the monster felt to his knees; Carl was standing behind him with his own gun aimed at the beast's back. Mando then proceeded to block my view as I heard the now dead body fall to the ground. It was around now that faces began to nervously peer from outside their houses.

"Are you alright?" The Mandalorian asked me. My mouth opened but no words came out yet; I was still too stunned and traumatized by what just occurred. I was able to put the pieces together in my head, though. Mando ran for me; not the guy wanting to kill me. I bet it was because Carl was right behind him; he knew that Carl would handle the villain. So Mando left that to him, choosing instead to address my safety first instead of shooting that guy himself. His first instinct when he saw that I was in danger was to come to me…. Not take out the man threatening me but protect me himself. The very notion helped steady my breathing as I stared up at Mando's helmet.

Meanwhile Carl took a few steps forward and reached down to pick up the tracker, which fell from the fiend's person into the dirt when his corpus collapsed. He inspected it; his face washing over in horror and deep concern. "Mando, what is this? Was he using this to track Saoirse?" Carl sounded appalled, enraged, and terrified all at once. "Stay here," the Mandalorian told me before getting up to go over to Carl and the gruesome body. "Mando, what does he want with Saoirse? Is there something you've neglected to tell me?" Carl's voice was raising. "Give it to me," Mando held his hand out for it. Carl frowned, taking a step backwards.

"He almost shot her! Why?! What was he doing here? We know how he found her, but that doesn't answer why he wanted to murder Saoirse." Mando hesitated to answer for a moment; his head tilted downwards ever so slightly in a thoughtful manner. "That doesn't matter."

"What do you mean? Course it matters! She could have died, Mando! I mean, what would have happened if we hadn't arrived when we did? How many more of these fobs are out there? How many people are searching for her?" By now, the whole stunned village was listening to them along with me. People apprehensively came out into the open; not that neither man took notice.

Again, Mando took his time responding; it was clear he was considering this too by the way his head moved. "I don't know." "You don't know?" Carl spat back angrily. "I'm handling it," the Mandalorian's hand raised. "You're clearly not. Wait… Is that why you brought her here? Because you knew these…. these bounty hunters are tracking Saoirse?" A moment of silence passed between them. Mando's helmet turned gently to face Carl. "Yes," he answered honestly.

Carl contemplated this for a minute, licking his lips and glaring off to the side. The mood was still very, very tense. "Then they'll keep coming." "Yes….." "They know she's here; you'll have to leave, and the sooner, the better." "I know," Mando then threw the tracker back onto the ground and crushed it with his boot.


	20. Goodbye Sorgan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando and Saoirse leave Sorgan.

Not only Mando and Carl but everyone treated me different after that morning. While Mando and especially Carl grew more protective- if that were possible- the locals actively avoided me. I think they saw me as a threat; a risk to everyone around me. Carl, by contrast, wouldn't leave my side. This worked out as Mando went back to the ship before us; he didn't say why. Carl was tasked with watching over me while he was gone, which Carl did without complaint.

Realizing that this would probably be my last time to take a bath for the foreseeable future, I took the opportunity to clean myself. Carl stationed himself behind a tree, keeping his arms folded and eyes on the village just in case. I'll admit, I felt safer knowing Carl was nearby, though I do wish it was Mando. I still don't know why he went ahead of me.

The Mandalorian wasn't gone for long though. Soon enough he returned, and we loaded up the cart. Once that was done, Carl helped me get onto the cart. He looked at me, then at Mando; they were standing beside each other. "You sure you got nothing to tell me?" Carl asked for the last time. "No," Mando stated simply and to the point; I think he was being cautious about who knew about my bounty. Even our friend Carl… The ex-shock trooper eyed him for a moment then nodded. "Are you sure you don't want an escort?" "I appreciate the offer, but we're going to by past the town and head right to the razor crest." Carl put his bag over his shoulder. "Well then, until our paths cross," he held out his hand for Mando's. The Mandalorian didn't hesitate to take it. "Until our paths cross."

Then Carl looked at him. His lips first curled into a slight, nervous frown before he forced himself to grin. "And you- take care of yourself, ok?" "I will," I smiled back. To my surprise, Carl's smile turned genuine. His hand reached up to touch my cheek; I actually blushed quite frazzled when he caressed it. After a moment, Carl drew back his hand and gave Mando a serious expression; his grin faded once more. "She'd better be in one piece the next time we meet."

Mando and I rode the cart back to the ship. I helped Mando load everything back onboard. I had just carried a box on when Mando approached me from the open door; he stopped just near me and I could sense his eyes on me. "Saoirse." "Yes?" I set the box down and straightened up to face him. "Follow me," he directed before heading further into the ship. I did as I was told- I let the Mandalorian lead me to a small room I'd never noticed before. It wasn't really a room; more like a bed with a door. That's when I noticed that my cot was nowhere to be found.

"This is for you," Mando stood aside, letting me see the bed in the compact chamber. My feet shuffled closer so I could get a good look; my head popped inside curiously. "A bed?" I blinked back at him astonished. "I thought it would be more comfortable than the cot," was his reply. All I could was stare- stare in utter astonishment. He made this…. for me? Just so I would be comfortabler and sleep better? Mando watched my dumbfounded and elated expression, patiently waiting for me to break the silence.

"This is why you came back earlier?" I heard the sound of my own voice seconds later. He nodded softly. My eyes merely glanced back to the bed. This…. is the kindest gesture anyone has ever done for me; well, anyone still alive anyway. I just didn't know what to say… I suddenly felt all light and bubbly inside. Still at a loss for words, a wide, organic smile luminated across my lips as I peered back at the Mandalorian. My fingers reached out to caress the top of the bed's covers. "Thank you; that was so nice of you…. Thank you." Why he did this, I had no explanations, but I was just so grateful. Mando may be the "strong, silent" type, but he shows his kindness in quiet, sincere ways.

"One more thing," the Mandalorian pulled something out from behind his back. Like a flip had been switched, my grin immediately faded once he revealed a blaster; one I'd never seen before. I frowned, gazing up to him now reluctantly. Despite my initial reaction, he still held it out for me. "Keep this on your person at all times," he directed. I folded my arms, hiding my hands under my armpits. "I'm not taking that." "It's just a precaution." "Mando, you know I took a vow against killing anything- even my enemies. I can't use that," I stood my grounds. So did Mando. "You don't have to kill anyone. If someone targets you again, you can shoot them in the hand or the leg." "Mando…." I hesitated. "You'll have an easier time escaping if you do," he wouldn't stop foisting it on me.

Now, I know why he's doing this. The scenario back there must have really alarmed him; it must have hit home to Mando that he won't always be around to protect me. That, and I'm woefully unarmed. Without him or Carl there, I'm practically a sitting duck; I was when he came got me, after all. Yet I already knew that I'd never use that blaster, and I have a feeling Mando also knew that too. But my possessing it would simply make him feel better- though I had a sneaking suspicion that he told himself it was to make me feel better. Heh, men.

Seeing as he wasn't going to let this go, I reluctantly took the gun; it was a lot heavier than I imagined it being. Mando watched me inspect it over; after that, he gave me a quick lesson on how to use it and keep it clean. I thanked him and set it down onto the bed. Seemingly satisfied with that, the Mandalorian went back to the control centre and begun to fly our ship away from the planet. We never returned to Sorgan.


End file.
